Power of attorney financial

[Silverbirch2]

Hi just starting the process for dh nan. How long does it take in reality? How do you deal with day to day bits? We dont live close and so far nothing is online- she does have a few direct debits- but do you change addresses for Bill's to be sent to you?
Thanks

[Knotaknitter]

If you get everything on direct debit then there will be less to deal with day to day. Mum had no bills apart from the annual house insurance. Everything else was left to run along by itself. My experience was different as I was there every day and could see the post as it came in. Once the banks had seen the PoA the statements came to me automatically, I had never asked for a change of address.

[PritiPatelsMaker]

Once it's set up I believe you can set up online banking on your devices and I think you should have a debit card.

[LarkRize]

We did this last year and it was about 4 months from sending the completed forms to getting the PoAs back. Make sure you use registered post and can track payment as well (we used cheques for that reason) as you may need to prove both.

[RunningRainbow]

Does she still have capacity to give informed consent to PoA? If she doesn't, then you would need to apply for deputyship.

PoA cannot be enacted for 3 months after being set up and lodged with the Court of Protection.

[Silverbirch2]

Thanks everyone, yes she still has capacity. Good to hear from people who have done this recently thank you

[MereDintofPandiculation]

PoA cannot be enacted for 3 months after being set up and lodged with the Court of Protection. @RunningRainbow can you give a reference for this? You can’t use it until the Office of Public Guardian has finished registering it, but nothing I’ve seen has said anything other than you can then use it immediately.

@Silverbirch2 once you receive notification that OPG has registered it, you’ll need to show it (or nowadays give a code to access the online version) to every organisation you deal with. At that stage you also specify the address for correspondance.

[Justkeeppedaling]

But if she still has capacity, I don't think you can use the POA.

[Cookerhood]

@Justkeeppedaling

But if she still has capacity, I don't think you can use the POA.

Yes you can

[BlanketsBanned]

You can use financial poa as soon as it has been registered as long as the right box has been ticked on the application form

[LarkRize]

As @MereDintofPandiculation said, you can use it as soon as it is registered - the instructions that come back from the OPG are clear and helpful. You can use a financial PoA while the donor has capacity if the right box has been ticked, it is the health PoA which only operates once capacity is lost.

[RunningRainbow]

@MereDintofPandiculation you're absolutely right, I've no idea why I said that last night. I clicked on the email saying I had been mentioned and read my comment and thought "wtf?" because it's just wrong. No idea what I was on about. I'm sorry!

[Silverbirch2]

Thanks everyone. Yes it does say POA financial can be used straight away- it's one of the choices. The Bill's are getting too much for her. Shes getting distressed at the amounts too- arent we all!

[Mindymomo]

With my father in law, who had absolutely no idea how to handle money, asked me to sort out insurance, utilities etc., I set up most accounts using my email address and ticked paperless on everything. I changed suppliers on a couple of accounts as they insisted on speaking to him at every query. Like you, if he were still alive, the cost of everything rising would have worried him too much.

[Silverbirch2]

@mindymomo thanks we might do that now. Shes basically not wanting to do finances from now on so even the 4 or 5 month wait until POA is granted will be stressful. Almost everything is paper at the moment and she gets anxious and rips all the bills up- only found out as a Sky bill which is Direct debit has my Dh (it's his mum) email on it and they contacted him. Shes started taking money out of the bank to keep 'safe'at home as the costs are rising?! Theres £20 floating about everywhere , so no money in the bank! Thanks for advice

[BlanketsBanned]

She can always arrange for you to be a third party signatory on her bank account if she wants help while waiting,you could pay bills, sign cheques and would have your name on her account.