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Elderly parents
Original poster

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

84 replies

Isitsticky · 18/08/2025 16:56

DSis and I have financial LPA for mum. Her account is with barclays. We had to spend 1 1/2 hours in branch registering the LPA's. We were told that it was all sorted, but we can't use the app to manage her money (why??).

Basic stuff was ok but when we wanted to put some of her money in a bond, the website wouldn't let me do it. After hours on the phone, we had to go into branch again (another hour). They said the reason it hadn't worked was that they hadn't listed her town of birth.

i wanted to put some of her money in an ISA and, surprise, I can't do that online. Mum wanted to send some money to a DGC who is buying a house, and that won't go through either. They are looking at things and will probably call me, but nothing. I'm done with them.

Does anyone have any better experiences?

OP posts:
Original poster
Isitsticky · 18/08/2025 17:22

I can't be doing with all that, tbh, CyanSheep.

OP posts:
ThatCyanSheep · 18/08/2025 17:19

ThatCyanSheep · 18/08/2025 17:06

To be honest, no. They’re all wank. I’ve worked in this area of law and they are just shit. They really, really take issue with LPAs. In a way I understand their caution, they’re handing over control of a person’s finances to someone else. I can understand why they’re reticent when it comes to big transactions.

Nationwide have been okay, when I’m working. NatWest are ones to avoid for sure - I’ve placed four financial ombudsman complaints against them. Yorkshire and Leeds building societies are okay, but again it’s not always easy to get them to accept them.

The way we always dealt with getting things done was sending a letter to the bank/building society, with the instructions written as clear as day. Countersign as attorney with “I, XYZ, as attorney for ABC, authorise this transaction” or words to that effect.

Send it to the attorney department at the bank (they should have the address on their website), with a certified copy of the LPA and your ID (obviously this is easier to obtain at a solicitor’s office than in day to day life.). Send it recorded delivery and keep a copy of everything you send. If they don’t come back to you within 14 days of receipt, send a chaser (again recorded delivery). If they then don’t come back within 14 days, official complaint with copies of all correspondence. You then have 8 weeks to wait before you go to the ombudsman. It’s really, really shit, and needs reform.

Also, forgot to say - keep proof of postage, and keep checking the tracking to print off the proof of delivery when it arrives. The ombudsman takes a very dim view of this!

Original poster
Isitsticky · 18/08/2025 17:17

Hmm. Maybe NatWest,then, but I suspect that they are indeed all shit. Appreciate replies so far. Thanks.

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 18/08/2025 17:12

Didn’t have any problems with co-op (until they died then probate was a nightmare, so maybe avoid ! ). West Bromwich and Halifax were good on both accounts.

Chinyreckon · 18/08/2025 17:09

I didnt have any problem with Nat West for a parent, but struggled with Barclays for PIL!

unsync · 18/08/2025 17:07

The kicker on that is that to be able to act as Attorney on my parent's account, I have to open an account with them myself.

ThatCyanSheep · 18/08/2025 17:06

To be honest, no. They’re all wank. I’ve worked in this area of law and they are just shit. They really, really take issue with LPAs. In a way I understand their caution, they’re handing over control of a person’s finances to someone else. I can understand why they’re reticent when it comes to big transactions.

Nationwide have been okay, when I’m working. NatWest are ones to avoid for sure - I’ve placed four financial ombudsman complaints against them. Yorkshire and Leeds building societies are okay, but again it’s not always easy to get them to accept them.

The way we always dealt with getting things done was sending a letter to the bank/building society, with the instructions written as clear as day. Countersign as attorney with “I, XYZ, as attorney for ABC, authorise this transaction” or words to that effect.

Send it to the attorney department at the bank (they should have the address on their website), with a certified copy of the LPA and your ID (obviously this is easier to obtain at a solicitor’s office than in day to day life.). Send it recorded delivery and keep a copy of everything you send. If they don’t come back to you within 14 days of receipt, send a chaser (again recorded delivery). If they then don’t come back within 14 days, official complaint with copies of all correspondence. You then have 8 weeks to wait before you go to the ombudsman. It’s really, really shit, and needs reform.

unsync · 18/08/2025 17:06

Leeds BS and Coventry BS were excellent.

All the others have been problematic.

The specialist PoA department of one initially refused to register me as attorney. They told me that as I had reverted to my maiden name and the PoA was in my married name, I needed to get the PoA altered to reflect this! This would be the PoA that has been registered with the Court of Protection and is a legal document. Altering it would of course be illegal.

Smartiepants79 · 18/08/2025 17:00

My Mum had lots of the same issues with my grandmothers finances. She used one of the building societies I believe - I want to say the Coventry?! Definitely need one with a branch nearby.