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Original poster

PoA admin -hassle registering it at financial institutions

62 replies

BeaTwix · 31/12/2024 10:33

I've got Scottish PoA. So no nice code for me to give financial institutions.

I need to send them an original or a certified copy - some will accept a copy certified by any professional (thanks colleagues!) others only want them done by solicitors (£££).

I also paid for some "official" copies from the office of the public guardian-Scotland (OPG-S) which say clearly on the front "this document does not require to be certified" yet the financial institutions are still rejecting them as photocopies. Because despite being "official" that is what they look like. OPG-S stopped putting nice seals and bindings on docs in 2023.

Doesn't help that the oldie has accounts with over 27 organisations. I'm now down to mostly the ones with <£1000 in them, or that I can't walk into.

I've been trying to sort this out since September. It takes so long and I've spent a fortune on recorded delivery letters and the final insult yesterday was when I tried to use my hard fought card for the oldies bank account the bank declined it despite their being money in the account.

Trying to get this card involved one visit to branch with a tonne of documents, three phonecalls and two trips to Scotland to retrieve it as they wouldn't post it to my home address and the first time I went up the oldie assured me me that my debit card had arrived (I asked them to open it) but it turned out only to be some kind of plastic card with my online banking details on it - not chip and pin, no mastercard symbol. Slightly worrying too that oldie couldn't recognise what a debit card looked like.

I have no idea why the transaction was declined - 30 minutes previously I'd paid in around £500 of re-issued dividend/ rights issue cheques using the same card. So now the oldie owes me money again and after how shirty they got the last time I explained I was taking money to pay myself back I vowed I wasn't going to get into this position again.

Also a word of warning - if you don't pay in your dividend cheques they charge admin fees so the oldie lost a tonne of money as the entire value of some of her small shareholding dividends was eaten up in the re-issuing fees. Oldie should have signed up for DRIP or automatic payment into her bank account years ago but that would have meant them making a sensible decision/ following a system which has never been their strong point even before the current cognitive decline.

I've also finally got PoA registered and online banking set up for their Nationwide accounts (three visits to a branch, an executive level complaint, one new card reader and one phone call) and despite repeatedly saying in branch that I needed to manage the accounts online it transpires that I can't actually transact on any of the accounts. I can only check the balance. Sorting this out is yet another task.

Honestly burnout is very real.

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Original poster
BeaTwix · 08/04/2025 23:46

@catofglory I have a Scottish combined PoA. I have provided copies to this NHS health board previously - they should have uploaded it onto the electronic records system which is what I requested they do. But obviously they haven't. Or they didn't actually read my letter of complaint.

Which is possible as these are the same issues I raised in my previous communication with them. At which point they spent more time clarifying if it was feedback, comment or a complaint than they did actually addressing the substance of the complaint.

I really pity old people who don't have articulate and educated people to look out for them as the financial institutions make this far too complicated in the guise of safeguarding aka delivering a shit expensive service.

Initially I only had the original document. I could have got them certified by a solicitor but they wanted £££ and there was a huge processing backlog at the OPG Scotland which i had to get the MSP involved to sort. I now have certified copies of the PoA provided by the OPG Scotland. However, English financial institutions keeps rejecting them as they don't know what they look like. Or they don't return them. Which as they cost about £25 each is a pain in the ass.

My brother (lawyer) went to a talk about PoA and the OPG herself outlined a horror story involving her trying to use her parents PoA and someone in the bank mansplaining her about how it worked. Honestly. The system is fucked.

I'm dealing with 27 institutions because the oldie is a moron and has an inordinate number of accounts.

Oldie also has an unclaimed private pension (she is now 76) and I've been badgering Aviva to tell me about it since early January. So far I've written once, phoned twice, emailed CEO twice. Still nada. But I do have a letter telling me they've registered the PoA on all the products she holds with them! It's just a shame they can't give me the information i need. At this rate she is going to end up with an annuity right before she pops her clogs.

OP posts:
catofglory · 08/04/2025 14:19

I realise it may be more difficult with Scottish POA, I had English.

But I did not have a nice code, as I was doing all this a few years ago.

The only financial institution I ever went into with my POA was the bank which had my mother's current account. They posted a debit card and cheque book to me, and I set up online banking so I could monitor the account and also transfer money to myself when I paid for things for her. And ultimately, also set up payments for her care.

With the other institutions I rang and asked them what they needed, they emailed me details, and I posted certified copies of POA and ID. It is a PITA when you have to do it multiple times.

Re the NHS, do you have health POA as well as finance? Not sure how it works with Scottish POA but with English they are two separate documents. The NHS would either need sight of the health POA, or permission from your oldie.

Madcats · 08/04/2025 09:30

There I was feeling relieved I would have a couple more years without worrying about the outlaws, but my MiL was recently in hospital and it soon became apparent that FiL has mislaid a fair few marbles since we last saw them for any length of time.

It took the pair of them about 7 years to lodge the PoA’s we’d signed (I’m surprised that they were acceptable so late in the day TBH), so I don’t have high hopes that their affairs will be straightforward.

Deep breath….

rookiemere · 07/04/2025 18:47

I was just thinking about this thread yesterday. DF was talking about opening a new ISA using an account I didn’t even know existed <sigh>. I gently suggested that he choose an ISA from Bank A that I already have online POA set up. He looked kind of surprised, but then agreed.
I don’t use the POA at the minute as thankfully they are both just about capable of managing their financial affairs, but it makes any future matters easier if it’s all in one place. Frankly at this point they have enough money without worrying about the likely 0.2-0.5% difference in interest rates.

Original poster
BeaTwix · 07/04/2025 17:01

And it continues. I have PoA registered with the Skipton. Oldie has two accounts with them - an isa and instant access saver.

Oldies husband died last year and he had a skipton ISA so Oldie gets an inherited ISA (can't remember the proper name). However, in order to open this account they need to see the PoA again. Honestly, you couldn't make it up.

I also complained to the NHS about shitty communication around her discharge in December. My complaint letter was explicit about the fact I hold PoA and that she doesn't have capacity. Response letter - can't reply as need authorisation from oldie. ARRGGGGGGHHHHHH

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Original poster
BeaTwix · 02/02/2025 19:55

@Pirrip sympathies.

@Musicaltheatremum I've decided to open a barclaycard online account as my oldie next time I'm up and have her card handy. My lawyer brother pointed out that the PoA actually lets me do and I'll only be doing it to check what she is spending money on .

Just about to start a new thread on todays bombshell... the double glazing contract...

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Pirrip · 01/02/2025 11:00

I feel your pain, particularly with Fidelity.

My situation is complicated by the assets being in USA, my relative in an EU country now and me being in England. We have a PoA prepared in relative's country of residence and properly apostilled. Fidelity won't accept it. They want their own PoA form, notarised by a US notary. My relative is bedridden and visually impaired so no chance of travelling to US for this. Online notary attempted, but their verification software can't deal with non-US citizens. We are currently at an impasse.

SabrinaThwaite · 31/01/2025 14:05

Can I add that Santander were massively helpful in registering the English LPA online for DM’s current account with just an uploaded scan of the original document. They provided the two joint and several attorneys with bank cards in just a few days.

Musicaltheatremum · 30/01/2025 18:53

BeaTwix · 30/01/2025 16:33

And it continues. Went into Barclays branch today. Bloke very helpful but not all information on their website so there was stuff I could have done at home but hadn't. Then the bombshell Barclays register Scottish PoA under Scottish/ Foreign/ Unrecognised category.

There is no place on their system to record that it is a joint and several PoA so because there are two people named on the PoA they have treated it as a joint PoA with all the limitations that brings (no online/ phone banking/ dual signatures etc).

The system for English PoAs (he showed me) has distinct questions about this so joint and several can be established. Hopefully the PoA team will sort it out when it gets to them.

They also don't have online access for attorney's to credit card accounts (my oldie still uses her for online shopping and her memory is so poor that I'm worried that getting her to change her routine will cause endless issues).

Sigh Sigh Sigh Sigh.

Aaagh...that's why I can't get my dad's Barclay card to open online! Fortunately he has stopped using it and I saw the paper bill when I was last down and just one transaction on it.

So annoying re Scottish poa. I do recall the lady at Barclays being relieved it was an English one as the Scottish ones had to be registered differently as you have found out!

The system is so antiquated

Original poster
BeaTwix · 30/01/2025 16:33

And it continues. Went into Barclays branch today. Bloke very helpful but not all information on their website so there was stuff I could have done at home but hadn't. Then the bombshell Barclays register Scottish PoA under Scottish/ Foreign/ Unrecognised category.

There is no place on their system to record that it is a joint and several PoA so because there are two people named on the PoA they have treated it as a joint PoA with all the limitations that brings (no online/ phone banking/ dual signatures etc).

The system for English PoAs (he showed me) has distinct questions about this so joint and several can be established. Hopefully the PoA team will sort it out when it gets to them.

They also don't have online access for attorney's to credit card accounts (my oldie still uses her for online shopping and her memory is so poor that I'm worried that getting her to change her routine will cause endless issues).

Sigh Sigh Sigh Sigh.

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Original poster
BeaTwix · 24/01/2025 16:15

RBS

Won't let me reduce the huge unused overdraft (2.5K) on the oldies account to a more manageable £250 as they don't allow attorney's to borrow money!

Meanwhile the oldie is swanning around with fluctuating capacity and a debit card which allows her to spend at will.

I was just going to reduce the overdraft and accept the potential loss of her current account balance but this changes things somewhat...

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Original poster
BeaTwix · 24/01/2025 12:45

Fidelity.

I went into their London contact centre to present the documents - PoA, my passport, my driving licence. Copies were taken and verified by the staff for submission to their central office.

they have now written to me saying they need to verify my DOB and I need to send them….my passport or driving licence.

Can anyone actually get this process right.

NSANDI have upheld my complaint and conceded that the documents
I sent them was legit.

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MereDintofPandiculation · 17/01/2025 09:44

And. I can't remove the overdraft limit on the current account either as I"m meant to do that on the digital banking but when I try to do so I get an error message telling me that I don't have a current account. When I blatantly do. That is appalling! I’ve had no problem opening new accounts with building societies without re-presenting the PoA documents, although admittedly I do it in branch, so that may be different.

RememberDecember · 16/01/2025 21:50

@BeaTwix sorry to hear, POA really is shambolic. I think I would register POA somewhere new, ideally where you already have online access to your own accounts and open a new savings account there.

Original poster
BeaTwix · 16/01/2025 18:12

And it continues.

I opened a savings account for her with her own bank. I've had the PoA active on this for months and have been operating the account using online banking without hassle. I Had to open the new account on the phone as attorneys can't open on line.

Savings account still hasn't popped up in my online banking a week later so I phoned them. The PoA isn't on the new savings account. And apparently I can only get it registered on the new savings account by going into branch (there isn't one in London as it is a Scottish bank) with all the documents again.

And. I can't remove the overdraft limit on the current account either as I"m meant to do that on the digital banking but when I try to do so I get an error message telling me that I don't have a current account. When I blatantly do.

I need to do all this as I want to keep the amount in her current account low as she is more confused and her spending is now erratic.

Urgh..

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Original poster
BeaTwix · 15/01/2025 19:44

And today NSANDI emailed me in response to my complaint about them rejecting a legitimate PoA as a copy that I have now submitted to them three times. The emails bounced initially as they included a photograph of the document showing the "this document does not need to be certified" statement.

My complaint was included in full at the bottom of their email but the text of their email asked me to resubmit it!!!

And they have sent the PoA back to me - I seriously hope they copied it rather than simply writing to inform me they were (erroneously) rejecting it as I really really can't be arsed to go to the post office again to send it recorded delivery.

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wonkylegs · 14/01/2025 19:20

I hate to say it 10yrs into the process and I still have issues with this
Having to reissue copies when institutions/ companies merge or lose their records or because it's a Tuesday 🙄
We don't have a code - too old paperwork so have to go down the physical copy route too and it's a serious PITA
Lloyds bank have been the only institution that was actually helpful - both the branch where mum used to live and my local one have been excellent
Solicitors when we sold her house when she went into care were ok but not as on the ball as they should be
Pensions, investments and service providers dire

Original poster
BeaTwix · 14/01/2025 19:02

It continues. NSANDI rejected my complaint as it contained an "attachment". Yes. A photograph of the front page of the power of attorney showing the stonking great statement "this certificate and following pages of the power of attorney do not need to be certified".

So complaint about a complaint just gone in.

And BT have offered me £50 to cover the multiple emails/ phonically required to:

  1. resurrect my oldie after they killed her off when I asked them register her PoA
  2. the phone calls required to try to get them to re-send a back up battery for her home hub which she needs because of her home care alarm but which they dispatched without telling anyone when she was in hospital which was then left in her bin. And as no one knew it was coming the bin was emptied with predictable consequences.
  3. the phone calls required to get them to refund the charges for the back up battery as she should have got it free as a vulnerable customer
  4. the time it took me to establish on the internet that they have a wireless adaptor that old fashioned cordless phones can plug into which means she can keep the same phone beside her bed. This is essential as she is confused and learning how a new cordless one works is probably beyond her. BT help desk could only suggest I buy a new set of cordless phones.
  5. the phone calls and emails to get them to provide said wireless adaptor.

I mean £50.... It's actually quite insulting. Would they have offered a male carer such a derisory sum?

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Madcats · 12/01/2025 17:10

Sending you permission to scream out loud, OP.

My outlaws are finally registering PoA's we signed for them 7 years ago and gleefully announced that they wanted to do everything on paper.

For English residents (and apologies to Scottish OP) we seem to be able to set ourselves up on the govt gateway so banks can see we have PoA status without losing a bit of paper in the post (or a public sector postroom).

We spent MONTHS arguing about the status of my widowed mother's simple will after HMRC had removed a staple to scan it during lockdown.

Deep breath; you'll get there eventually.

YellowPixie · 11/01/2025 13:10

NS&I were the wordst. The MOST inflexible, the hardest to navigate, the ones which wanted the highest level of documents including originals. Total pain.

Original poster
BeaTwix · 10/01/2025 19:55

And today's institutional fuck up is NSANDI who have joined computershare in the camp of not being able to recognise Scottish Power of Attorney documentation.

They've rejected my OPG-S provided copy as an uncertified photocopy. As previously it even says on the front "this copy does not require certification"

Complaint submitted.

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RememberDecember · 09/01/2025 20:17

BeaTwix · 09/01/2025 13:58

Yup. Just discovered the joy of no online banking with Skipton.

Nationwide have told me in order to transact online I need to open a nationwide current account for her.

Yep, I’ve just given notice to close a Skipton account today solely because no online access for POA. The default would have been to rollover for a year.

I had the same comment from Nationwide, but POA also required to have a current account to get online access. No thanks.

Original poster
BeaTwix · 09/01/2025 13:58

Yup. Just discovered the joy of no online banking with Skipton.

Nationwide have told me in order to transact online I need to open a nationwide current account for her.

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MichaelandKirk · 06/01/2025 14:20

Bean there done this! Late Father had 25 plus bank accounts/savings accounts/NSI. You name it he had it!

Clearly there is plenty of money slosshing around so when father asked me to help he really didnt have clue what he had done and what a mess he had made (for me to sort out) So, as a full time working parent I said I would try. He offered to pay me to resolve and do you know what? I took the money. Car parking charges, petrol for my car, the odd lunch and it made me feel better. God knows why but it did.

I got agreement from my siblings who were living abroad and they were just relieved they didnt have to do it and tbh werent capable of doing it anyway.

MereDintofPandiculation · 06/01/2025 09:58

RememberDecember · 06/01/2025 08:56

@EmotionalBlackmail yes, I think my parents almost treated it as a hobby, searching out all the best deals. Thankfully they didn’t go for any of those regular saver ones that are capped to £5k or whatever. If you have plenty of time on your hands I suppose it makes sense but definitely not when PoA has to step in!

A building society assistant once suggested to me,and set up, three accounts with £5000 in each, which automatically circulated £100 between them, thus attracting the full regular savings on each. Of course it lasted only a couple of years before I had to transfer them all to something else. I was amazed she suggested it. It can’t have been what Head Office had in mind.

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