Page 2 | Registering an LPA with NatWest for a housebound elderly parent

WearyAuldWumman · 01/05/2026 17:06

MorticiaLiverish · 30/04/2026 16:30

We are currently in the process of getting an LPA for my 85yr old mum.

I went onto the website of her bank (NatWest) to see what the process would be for registering it with them once it is approved. They state that they will need photo ID from my mum, which she doesn't have, or she will need to call into a branch to it. The issue here is that she has no passport or driving licence and is housebound and can't physically go to a branch.

Has anyone come across this before and know a way around it?

With my parents, I vaguely recall being asked to take in a document from the GP, in lieu of a passport or driving licence. (Mum and Dad were with RBS, which is part of the NatWest group.)

WearyAuldWumman · 01/05/2026 17:08

Just to add that I took everything into the branch rather than doing it online.

PropertyD · 01/05/2026 17:08

Yes, it’s an online code now. Needs to be refreshed very month (I think!).

When I first did it for my Father you still had to go into the bank to register and all the pages were taken away and photocopied . The silly moo took the document, left one of the pages on the copier and I didn’t notice until I went into another bank to register. Very luckily the bank was only a few doors down from the first one!

PurpleKate · 01/05/2026 17:27

PropertyD · 01/05/2026 17:08

Yes, it’s an online code now. Needs to be refreshed very month (I think!).

When I first did it for my Father you still had to go into the bank to register and all the pages were taken away and photocopied . The silly moo took the document, left one of the pages on the copier and I didn’t notice until I went into another bank to register. Very luckily the bank was only a few doors down from the first one!

No you don’t need to refresh. You generate an access code for the financial institution on the office of the public guardian site. Give the access code to the financial institution (plus any id or documents they want). The financial institution then has to view the access code within a month, before it expires. If it does expire, you can generate a new one. I’ve only had to generate a new one once, when the financial institution cocked things up!

AubergineParm · 04/05/2026 14:21

PurpleKate · 01/05/2026 16:59

In my considerable experience with registering an LPOA with financial institutions, is that every financial institution has a different set of rules. Some have asked for my id some for my mum’s and some want both. Sometimes a photograph of the id will do, or a photocopy, or it must be viewed in person. Sometimes the id will need to be certified by a solicitor. Every bank, building society etc will be different. Also they all want either a passport or a driving licence as they show a photo and a signature. They may also want additional info such as a recent household bill in your or your mum’s name. I’ve had to do this for over 20 financial institutions and they are all different.

I’m not up to 20 yet but completely agree. It is so very time consuming to wade through all this. Our LPA predates codes which adds another layer of complexity. Then half of them make it difficult to operate the account if you’re not a customer yourself.