How do I activate a financial power of attorney?

[stonecircle]

My sister and I have a financial power of attorney for my mum - all done by a solicitor and registered. Mum is now no longer to manage her own affairs so we need to step in but are wondering how to do it. Do we have to have proof - eg a medical certificate - that she can't manage it herself? Do we just take the registered document to her bank and ask for our names to be put on her accounts? Can anyone advise?

If its been registered, then you need the original poa form, proof of your identity, then make an appointment at the bank to get added to the account and get a cheque book/ card.

Thank you - that's great. Every time I googled I kept coming up with how to set one up, but not how to actually put one into action!

I haven't had to use my parents ones yet, but from what others on here say, the bank staff in branch may be a bit confused about what to do, but if you google the specific bank and poa you should get info to print and wave at them - Barclays for instance

Why didn't I think of that CMOT?!! All clear now. But sounds suspiciously simple! (thinking of the performance we went through to get funds from my dad's accounts transferred to my mum when he died ..)

My mum has always been super efficient, on the ball and organised. I've started going through her papers and am horrified that the apparent order is so chaotic! Trying to pin down what funds she has where is proving quite a challenge as she has kept statements going back years and years but not in any sensible order. She always moved ISAs around to get the best deal so it's not always clear which accounts have been closed and which are still active. But it's pretty clear which banks she is with so I guess once we go in to activate the power of attorney they will let us have a statement of all her accounts.

If you know the banks, then they will be able to collate everything - mum had always managed the finances, but dad has had to work out what is going on and change accounts from online to branch/paper based.

But you are right, there is apparently a big difference between what should be simple, and the reality of getting people to understand their own procedures.

If you have a health Poa, then don't forget to tell GP and hospital that you have it

It is very easy (in theory) to use the Financial POA once registered. I think for the Health and Welfare it's different and they need to have lost capacity before it gets used but the Financial one you just turn up with the form and your ID.

In reality CMOT's idea of printing things off first is a good idea. I found Barclays problematic but Nationwide good but guess it depends on the Branch staff.

A financial LPA can be used as soon as it's registered as long as you have the donor's permission. They must have mental capacity to give you that permission. If they don't have capacity, it can be activated by a medical professional assessing that they do not have capacity to manage their affairs any longer

Very straightforward it turns out. We just went to the bank with the certified LPA and proof of id - all done and dusted. No forms to fill in, no need for any medical assessment or permission from anyone.

My dad is losing his memory and spending money rapidly from his savings accounts, I have lpa but have not used it until now. We went to a solicitor and had the lpa done years ago but never received a certified copy from the solicitor... does anyone know if it would have been put in place?

I would suggest that you also download the Post Office form for redirection of mail. I found it easier to take it to the post office with the PoA. You need to filll out the special circumstances section. It really helps to ensure that appointments are kept as well checking on financial matters. I found out that my stepfather was paying car insurance even though he no longer owned a car.

Stone it is not always simple! My mum moved stuff around, I think because she was bored and liked opening new accounts. She had about 50 and a mountain of unsorted papers, some hidden in places like the microwave.

I started with the big paper sort. By type - she changed utility companies regularly as well, then by bank, then by date. Then stuck them in files and started a big spreadsheet.

The easiest was to take my mum onto banks with her passport and ask if she had balances. These could then be transferred or emptied on the spot.

This still left me with a number which were not easy access which i had to sort out as they matured. Each bank had its own procedures. Some will only do POA work at specific branches. Some require appointments. People on the phone rarely had the answers, I had to go into branches. Even then it could be difficult. I sat for an hour as an embarrassed young man phoned his way round computer support to try to add a POA onto one account. (It took weeks, though the branch did their best.)

It took me a year before I really got the admin under control.

ga can you check with solicitors? www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-public-guardian to see if it had been registered? good luck