To need immediate help.

[RobinEllacotStrike]

I’m at the bank with my elderly neighbour.
bank says she’s been declared mentally unfit and won’t let her get money out.

she wants £140 FFS.

this feels inhumane. Also her family know me & knows she comes to me. So why didn’t they tell me?

If she is declared mentally unfit, does a member of her family have a lasting power of attorney for finances? They should be making sure she has the money she needs.

Perhaps because you have no legal right to be involved in her finances?

It sounds like there’s more going on than you know about. Sadly you won’t be able to do much. The bank isn’t going to change their mind when there’s a note on her account and you don’t have any PoA or authority.

POA is the answer here if someone is mentally unfit. The people in the bank don't know who you are. You could be coercing her and it's more than people's jobs are worth in this climate understandably

Its not inhumane, you could be coercing a vulnerable customer.

The bank are protecting a customer who has been declared mentally unfit.

You are not the one holding Power of Attorney for financial affairs so you cant help her. All you can do is point her to who is, get in touch with them and let them sort out her finances.

They have a duty to safeguard her against risk of financial abuse. Can she use her bank card or are you attempting it for her? What is the money for?

Why is she withdrawing £140?

You need to step right back from this, in the kindest way. You could be seen as trying to coerce money from this lady, especially as it will be on CCTV. There will be a very valid reason why she can't access money if the bank are involved.

And if your neighbour is mentally unfit enough to not have access to her money, why does she need £140... she could be being scammed or anything.

This.

You actually posted this from the bank?

Why exactly is the point of your post?

Presumably they didn’t tell you as you are not important enough / close enough to know the ins and outs of your neighbour’s health. Or they have concerns about the help you are offering your neighbour 🤷🏻‍♀️

You have to wonder why the op is so desperate for urgent help.

My friend’s elderly mother is only allowed to spend £50 a day now because she was scammed and lost thousands but still insisted on trying to post money to the scammers.

@RobinEllacotStrikeDo you have contact details for your neighbour’s NOK or other family member? If you think it is a genuine mistake on the banks part, your neighbour’s relatives can sort it out. The best thing you can do is take her home for a cup of tea at yours and give her a sandwich / lunch / dinner and hope that it can be sorted out.

If she’s declared mentally unfit then no she can’t withdraw money, a doctor has certified this, and why on earth are you with her at the bank.

What on earth are you doing?

If she's unable to manage her accounts then presumably somebody has been appointed either as power of attorney or via a third party mandate.

The bank will not discuss with you because you've got no right whatsoever to her finances or information. Her family haven't told you because it isn't any of your business. If you're that close then contact them and let them know she needs money for whatever she needs it for.

Are you saying she isn't aware that this is the case? You can't do anything with her in the bank as they'll suspect you of coercion. So leave the bank and get her to speak to her next of kin.

It's unwise nowadays to go into the bank with an elderly person as they often view it with heavy suspicion. Unless you're literally her carer and even then they can take a dislike to the look of you and block the transaction. I think it can be a bit OTT and ageist but they do need to be super aware of scammers/coercion.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/age-uk-advice-line/

No, it's too late for Power of Attorney. PoA can only be given when the person has capacity to do so. If they have been found to no longer have this capacity, then "someone" (the family or the local authority) will need to apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship order.

You're right about the rest, but if she's already lacking capacity she won't be able to grant POA and things will have to go through the Court of Protection instead

This is a complete pain, which is why it's so important to get POA sorted when the person's still in a fit state to understand it

Edited to add snap, @roundaboutthehillsareshining

I dont trust you op.
Is the £140 for you somethings not adding up with your story 🤔.

You do not need immediate help, you have no right to help. You neighbor has been delclared unfit to manage their accounts so something has been put in place to safeguard them. Clearly the family do not want you to know and that is their right. Perhaps she is asking lots of people to go to the bank and withdraw money for her.

Good on the bank, they're protecting their customer.

As @Puzzledandpissedoff and @roundaboutthehillsareshining say. It sounds like the bank have put a note on her account to say she’s been assessed as lacking mental capacity. When that is in place, the only people who can access the account are her Power of Attorney or Finance Deputy.

You need to leave well alone so it doesn’t look as if you’re trying to coerce her.

She may not have capacity to manage all her financial affairs but it sounds like she has capacity to manage small financial decisions. I would suggest her going back to her GP and finding out specifically is there a maximum she’s allowed per day? She’s a human being and she does need money in her pocket.