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Power of attorney & third party account support

Long term options

Enduring Power of Attorney

Enduring Powers of Attorney were discontinued in 2007. If you have one that was created and signed before 1 October 2007, you are still able to set it up with us.

What is it?

An Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets you appoint someone to help you manage your affairs.

How can it support?

Provided you still have mental capacity, the attorney can use an Enduring Power of Attorney without registration at the Office of the Public Guardian, unless restrictions are contained in the power to say it is only to become effective should you begin to lose mental capacity.

Should you begin to lose mental capacity then the attorney must register the Power of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian for it to continue to be effective and in force. See the 'important considerations' section.

Important considerations

We encourage you to continue to monitor your accounts while you’re still mentally and physically able to do so, even when you appoint someone else to act on your behalf. If you feel you’re no longer able to monitor your accounts, please contact us for support.

If you or your attorney believe you are beginning to lose mental capacity, either of you must register the Enduring Power of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian. If the power isn’t registered and you lose or are beginning to lose mental capacity, your attorney will no longer be able to act as attorney until it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.

However if your attorney has begun the registration process at the Office of the Public Guardian; they will have limited powers until registration is complete. In the interim, they will be able to:

  • Maintain and prevent loss to your estate
  • Maintain themselves (the attorney) or other persons to the extent that you might be expected to provide for the needs of the attorney or other person

More information can be found on the Office of the Public Guardian website.

Enduring Powers of Attorney have now been replaced by Lasting Powers of Attorney, but they can still be registered with the bank if they were made and signed before 1 October 2007.

You can appoint multiple attorneys to act jointly i.e. must act together or jointly and severally i.e. can either act together or independently of one another if they wish.

How to register with the bank

We won’t charge you for registering your Power of Attorney with us.

Please contact our customer services team to discuss the most convenient way to register this or pop into your local branch to discuss with one of our friendly colleagues. Please have to hand / bring these documents with you — they’ll help us speed up the process:

  • The original Power of Attorney document. If you don’t have this, please bring a correctly certified copy — signed by the donor, solicitor or notary public on each page
  • Where applicable, evidence that the Power of Attorney has been registered at the Office of the Public Guardian
  • Account details the power is to be held on
  • If you (the donor) are an existing customer, ID(PDF, opens in new window) is required for the attorney only
  • If you (the donor) are not an existing customer and the attorney is opening the account on your behalf, ID(PDF, opens in new window) is required for both you (the donor) and the attorney
  • Any other relevant information

Lasting Power of Attorney

A longer-term, more formal option, a Lasting Power of Attorney allows the attorney to continue to act even if you lose mental capacity.

What is it?

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives authority for your attorney to make decisions on your behalf relating to your accounts. This power continues even if you subsequently lose mental capacity. It’s therefore a longer term option for you to consider.

How can it support?

A Lasting Power of Attorney will continue to be effective even if you subsequently lose mental capacity. It must always be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it has any legal validity.

If you lose mental capacity, your attorney will continue to be able to operate your accounts on your behalf without having to apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order.

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney:

  • Property & Financial Affairs
  • Health and Welfare

To allow your attorney to operate your bank accounts on your behalf, you must make a Property & Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney.

Important considerations

We encourage you to continue to monitor your accounts while you’re still mentally and physically able to do so, even when you appoint someone else to act on your behalf. If you feel you’re no longer able to monitor your accounts, please contact us for support.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is recommended if you think your mental capacity is likely to deteriorate. If you lose mental capacity, the power continues to be valid.

You must have mental capacity at the time you make the Power of Attorney.

The Lasting Power of Attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used, regardless of whether or not you have mental capacity.

You can appoint multiple attorneys to act jointly i.e. must act together or jointly and severally i.e. can either act together or independently of one another if they wish.

How to register with the bank

We won’t charge you for registering your Power of Attorney with us.

Please contact our customer services team to discuss the most convenient way to register this or pop into your local branch to discuss with one of our friendly colleagues. Please have to hand / bring these documents with you — they’ll help us speed up the process:

  • The original Power of Attorney document registered by the Office of the Public Guardian. If you don’t have this, please bring a correctly certified copy — signed by the donor, solicitor or notary public on each page
  • Account details the power is to be held on
  • If you (the donor) are an existing customer, ID(PDF, opens in new window) is required for the attorney only
  • If you (the donor) are not an existing customer and the attorney is opening the account on your behalf, ID(PDF, opens in new window) is required for both you (the donor) and the attorney
  • Any other relevant information

For more information, view how Powers of Attorney are revoked.