LPA for finance- are there any banks that aren't useless?

The whole LPA system needs a complete overhaul and has been oversold to the public. Many staff members in both banks and building societies still have no idea how to deal with such legal documents and there have been problems with these going back years. (I was never trained in these and was just advised to forward all questions to our Head Office).

And unfortunately @Isitsticky, yes the system is just broken. They introduced digital codes to try and make it better but the vast majority of banks don’t recognise them

It absolutely shouldn’t be £300!!!

And I found Nationwide very good. Didn't try using the app at all though - did everything in branch.

£300! How?!

I got a stack of copies certified for £15 (admittedly 6 or 7 years ago, so I'd expect to pay a bit more now).

Coventry and Skipton building societies have been good, with helpful people on the phone (I always go through to the power of attorney department where they are specially trained, rather than the normal service). Lloyds and Bank of Scotland actually good, and patient with me when I keep losing and muddling up the passwords.
NS and I spectacularly bad. Post Office and Virgin Money were beyond belief appalling.
i don’t think any of them allow you to use the app as power of attorney .

TSB have been fine for us so far.

Not much help as Barclays have been sort of ok for me. I keep a Chromebook I otherwise hardly use especially for them. But I’ve kept Mums affairs incredibly simple because we had a terrible crunch point where she needed 3 years’ fees in cash to show to the new nursing home to be able to leave the hellhole she was in, and we didn’t have it. It got sorted out, but it’s left me extremely cautious - I run a basic current account that her pension goes into, a (rapidly shrinking) savings account with a bit of interest accruing, and that’s it. ive got a debit card which makes life pretty easy for ordering clothes and toiletries etc.

We’ve got POA with several different banks. I’m with Barclays too so found that easy but my brother isn’t and has to go in to register which is a pain. I have to logon on a computer rather than my app but that’s ok. Yorkshire have been great. Always able to speak with someone once set up but there was quite a bit of paperwork to send rather than registering on line. Santander have been ok and was easy to log power of attorney.

I had to physically go into branch to sort it all out which was a huge pain. Also I cannot understand why they won’t accept the online access code like everything else. Totally archaic

Newcastle Building Society were great
7 in person visits to HSBC to sort it

but just wait until 1 of them dies
makes trying to activate an LPA a doddle

Everyone I have notified- ’we require a certified copy of the LPA’ - me do you really as it costs £300. Them -does it really. Can you just send us an email then?

Except NS&I They wont let me invest my mothers money without a certified LPA. She has an old account. Has anyone found a way round this?

Barclays were just useless when my mother was dying and had died. I tried to open a third-party access on her accounts and she was long dead before it went through. The power of attorney (old style) was taking too long to be registered and I thought this might be quicker.

Then they were unhelpful when she had actually died, too, and I was trying to sort out her affairs. I don't think they understand what elderly and frail people and their families need from them.

When I was in a branch trying to sort out something after my mother died, I watched the man who'd 'advised' me rudely ask an elderly couple with obvious arthritis/limb stiffness and sight issues why they weren't using the ap instead of coming into the branch. Probably because they can't use their fingers very agilely and can barely see?

Halifax was very good. Everything was done online to register the LPA and I was given a card for the account.

I’ve found that in most cases once you do it once, they will generally take note. But for large transactions (like gifting a large amount of money or opening new products) they will be wary

Sorry, but that's not good advice as you risk the account being frozen if the patent loses capacity.

I had to sort all this out with Barclays during lockdown. It nearly finished me off!
It’s still utter shite. He’s newly out of money (private funded care) so it won’t be an issue for much longer.

If your mum has capacity then open a joint account, that's what I have done with mine, solves all the issues!

If you want to get some movement you’ll need to. It’s a right pain in the arse but it’s the only way they’ll listen.

Yes, probably all useless. Nationwide were spectacularly crap.

Lloyd's don't let me use the app for my Mum's accounts, which is annoying but manageable. I just have to do everything on my PC.

I'm also Court of Protection appointed Deputy for one of my children and that account is with Nat West, which I find pretty good. I personally bank with NW and all my accounts, including my son's, sit side by side on the app, which is so helpful.

Nope
Absolute shitshow