Tracing bank accounts of someone who has Alzheimer’s

[Qwenzo]

My mum has always been a very private person (I didn’t know her year of birth until I was quite old 🤣) so has never discussed any financial matters with anyone.

She now has Alzheimer’s and I have Power of Attorney. I keep on finding occasional bank statements in her house as I’m sorting it but I suspect there’s many other accounts.

Is there any way of tracing these accounts? Short of writing to every single bank and building society? A tracing service maybe?

Thanks in advance!

Start with the main current account ....
go through the statements looking for every transfer or direct debit.

Then contact those banks and request that they check their records (using your POA)
They are generally quite helpful as it costs them money to hold the stuck funds

Its like an old fashioned telephone tree - each step in the chain checks a few more and the whole lot get covered

There are tracing services but they are very expensive (not worth it for under £100k)

Thank you.

There’s nothing on her current account - she always used cash, no direct debits or cards just cash withdrawals. Paid bills at the post office.
Then when Alzheimer’s struck hard she stopped paying bills. So I’m also tracing unpaid bills as well.
I really could do with a tracing service/idea of where to start as I am also working full time with a family - if it costs then fair enough, it might be worth the money.

Get her mail redirected to your address and eventually all the statements will start filtering through.

Start here
www.mylostaccount.org.uk/about
and read here
www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-lost-assets-free/
and here
www.uar.co.uk/

Its a bit of work, but can be done from home
Good luck

Get her credit report? Any accounts she has should be on there

Mail redirected already 👍
Thank you for those links, I’ll start there.
Credit report also a good idea!

I don’t know why I’m so clueless about this - I’m putting it down to the stress! Thank you 👍

@Qwenzo
I don’t know why I’m so clueless about this - I’m putting it down to the stress!
Because you are in an awful situation that is all consuming.
Feel no shame for asking for help or feeling out of your depth.

If you hit dead ends, keep coming back as we'll keep finding ideas
I'm a tax accountant so its business not personal for me

Hang on in there

Thank you, that’s one of the nicest things anyone has said to me about this whole situation.

Oh my. I’m in exactly the same position, right down to not knowing my mother’s year of birth until this year (I’ll be 34...). Luckily my mother is stubborn enough that I’m 99% she only has one bank account, insurance is another issue. Insurance is one of her ‘things’ so I’m pretty sure some stuff is insured in 3 or 4 different places. Redirecting post is a genius idea I did not think of.

If you get really stuck, feel free to PM

but I can promise there are some really sound people on this board who will help you sort this
as its scarily common
and for the family members involved feels like a quagmire.

we are here to help keep your head above water :-)

Experian can’t verify her identity. Presumably because she’s never had any credit?

Haha Blueemerald - my mother hasn’t paid bills for some time as far as I can see. I’m surprised she hasn’t got anyone knocking at her door. I paid her outstanding fuel bill last week - £1300 🤣

Can you fine comb her paperwork?

I sympathise OP, having just helped my mum sort out my nearly 100yr old nans accounts. Nan too has dementia and trying to get things sorted was very difficult. Not wanting to lose control, not wanting anyone to see the bills/accounts and being too proud to admit they cant cope is very common. Be grateful that you do indeed already have power of attorney, as its makes things much easier! You've done a great job and yes, it is hard and sad.

I agree that doing a credit check is a good idea. Experian and equifax are common ones and only about £2 per check. Can't comment on tracing services as no clue- sorry.

Timewasting- she is a hoarder. There’s paperwork going back to the 80s. In no order whatsoever, so it’s mixed up with post office statements from last week! I need to clear mouldy food and dirty things before I can even look at paperwork!

I need to stop the bank accounts being accessed by my mum and other people too. But I need to know quickly which bank accounts she has so I can do this. A friend has been exploiting her so there is a risk.

need to stop the bank accounts being accessed by my mum and other people too.
If you know the accounts that is a simple phone call of
stop other access or I do you for data breaches
and give them 12 hours

hoarding : I feel your pain

With the credit reports, Clearscore and Credit Karma are both free, clear score is probably better, not sure on how much detail, but my partner has very little credit and it has his bank accounts

Listening - I don’t know where other accounts are though. I can find about three I’m sure of but I know there are others, just not where!

And also - because of COVID, many phone lines to banks aren’t working or there’s a message saying we’re can’t help you today’ (looking at you Halifax)

I’m at work full time, then need to see to my mum after work so can’t go into banks. Can’t take annual leave as I’m not allowed at the minute.

No bank accounts listed on clear score. Not even the ones I know about but I’ve found another debt 👍

Credit reports won’t show savings accounts on there only accounts with a credit facility such as a current account.
I’d write a list of the major banks and savings providers including post office, national and local building societies and local credit unions if you think she may have used them. Start by ringing them up and asking if she has an account - they will be unlikely to confirm but if you explain that she is vulnerable and you have POA they should put a warning on any account to stop anyone else transacting. After that it’s probably a trip to the local branches with the POA and again explaining what’s happening. But that will likely take longer given current social distancing.
Hopefully you’ll find something in the paperwork.

@Qwenzo
GDPR is your friend ;-)
what do you mean you transferred money without my permission?
shall we take it up with the ICO and the Ombudsman today or will you refund that money today

Every time you get onto a phone system, hit 0 (zero) till you get a human .......
take their name, do not take no for an answer,
go up the food chain
its great fun once you start

If you can’t get through on the phone contact them via the complaints route as you’ll get a response that way. Or send a letter with a copy of the POA.

Great thanks for the advice. I’ll try again Monday!