Western Asset High Yield Defined Opportunity Fund (HYI) Form 3 Western Asset High Yield Defined Opportunity Fund / Jed A. Plafker ownership change

    LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY
FOR SECTION 13 AND 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

    Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby makes, constitutes and appoints George P. Hoyt as the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority as hereinafter described on behalf of and in the name, place and stead of the
undersigned to:

    1. prepare, execute, acknowledge, deliver and file Forms ID, Schedules 13D and 13G, and Forms 3, 4 and 5 (including any amendments thereto and any related documentation) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any national securities exchanges relating
to any registered closed-end company to which an affiliate of Franklin Resources, Inc. ("FRI") is an investment adviser (each, a "Reporting Entity"), as considered necessary or advisable under Regulation S-T and Sections 13(d) and 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended from time to time (the "Exchange Act");
and

    2. seek or obtain, as the undersigned's representative and on the undersigned's behalf, information on transactions in the securities of any Reporting Entity from any person, including brokers, employee benefit plan administrators and trustees, and the undersigned hereby
authorizes any such person to release any such information to the undersigned and approves and ratifies any such release of information; and

    3. perform any and all other acts which in the discretion of such attorney-in-fact are necessary or desirable for and on behalf of the undersigned in connection with the foregoing.

    The undersigned acknowledges that:
1. this Limited Power of Attorney authorizes, but does not require, such attorney-in-fact to act in his discretion on information provided to such attorney-in-fact without independent verification of such information;

    2. any documents prepared and/or executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Limited Power of Attorney will be in such form and will contain such information and disclosure as such attorney-in-fact, in his discretion, deems necessary or
desirable;

    3. none of FRI, any Reporting Entity nor the attorney-in-fact assumes (i) any liability for the undersigned's responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act, (ii) any
liability of the undersigned for any failure to comply with such requirements, or (iii) any obligation or liability of the undersigned for profit disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; and
    4. this Limited Power of Attorney does not relieve the undersigned from responsibility for compliance with the undersigned's obligations under the Exchange Act, including without limitation, the reporting requirements under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

    The undersigned hereby gives and grants the foregoing attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary or appropriate to be done in and about the foregoing matters as fully to all intents and purposes
as the undersigned might or could do if present, hereby ratifying all that such attorney-in-fact of, for and on behalf of the undersigned, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Limited Power of Attorney, and indemnifies the foregoing attorney-in-fact against any loss
of any nature whatsoever arising in connection therewith.

    This Limited Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to such attorney-in-fact.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Limited Power of Attorney to be executed as of this 5th day of August, 2020.

    /s/ Jed A. Plafker
    Signature

    Jed A. Plafker
    Print Name