POA - What happens now?

[Pete R]

They said to expect the appointment to last roughly an hour, can't really understand why so long but hey ho, and I have all the relevant documentation ready.

My meeting at Santander took around an hour. There are quite a few forms to fill in and they have to copy the LPA and your ID documents. They are then faxed to Santander HQ who have to check everything is in order. If there are any queries they get back to the branch whilst you are still there, which saves you having to go back.

...............but I don't see why I can't just have a card,

They may well give you card. They did not in my case but I didn't push it as it was not needed.Can you not look after the account via internet banking? You can then transfer money to your account before you spend it.

 

[Beate]

I'd find transferring money every time an unnecessary faff, plus it's not clear what you'll spend it on then, while a debit card could show more clearly what you are doing with it, unless you just use it to withdraw cash all the time.

 

[Kingfisher1]

I don't want all these transactions going through my account. I am on means tested benefits and council tax benefit and don't want the hassle of trying to explain why all these sums of money are coming and going. I want to keep my bank account completely separate from his, and then there are bank charges to consider if I go overdrawn, which I have on several occasions because of this. I can't keep affording to pay £25 every time a cheque doesn't clear in time before my own direct debits come out!

 

[canary]

I dont see why you cant have a card. I am named on mums account and have a cheque book and card in my name on her account. OK, I have Court of Protection rather than POA, but the principle is the same and its usually harder to get things with CoP. It makes life so much easier if you have a card. I would insist that you have one.

 

[Kingfisher1]

Great news! Santander has changed its policy on allowing attorneys to hold a debit card. So I should be able to get one without any problems

 

[Quilty]

Local job centre will also make certified copy

Job centre will make a certified copy which DWP have access to, which is very helpful

 

[Kingfisher1]

The job centre?

 

[Kingfisher1]

That's interesting. Do you have a link to this new rule please?

 

[jugglingmum]

Just be careful if the £5.00 you were quoted differed hugely from the other quotes. When I did this, most other solicitors charged around £25 per copy, but one also only wanted £5. When I enquired further from the one who only wanted a fiver, they were only going to certify the first page! They were a small provincial solicitor who hadn't kept up with the new rues regarding LPAs. Each and every page of the copy now has to be stamped and signed.

They did mention on phone about each page being signed. I'm going tomorrow so I'll find out then.

 

[Kingfisher1]

Please could you let me know what happens as I've just had a copy certified by a solicitor in London, and he has only certified the first page!

 

[sue38]

That's interesting. Do you have a link to this new rule please?

It's not actually a new rule - it's contained in section 3 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1971 which you will find >here<.

I would go back to the solicitor and ask them to do it properly.

 

[Beate]

And another useful document bookmarked. Thank you.

 

[Kingfisher1]

I phoned the solicitor and he said the POA counts as one document and therefore only the front page needs to be signed and stamped.. Think I will phone the OPG to check.

 

[suenandbam]

i administer my Mum's finances under a deputyship order from the OPG. I use online banking to transfer money from her account to mine, as I don't have a debit card for her account. If I need to buy something big I can put it on my own credit card then transfer the money in to pay off the card before it incurs any interest.

I keep a simple spreadsheet (a hand written list would do) of what I have spent and make sure I keep all the receipts to back it up. I haven't encountered any problems in the last 3 years using this method.

 

[Kingfisher1]

What a joke. I got a letter from Santander today stating that they do not allow debit cards on this type of account after all! So one person telling me one thing, and someone else telling me another. Rang them up and told them I would just be transferring the whole account over to another bank who CAN offer this facility. They won't be happy, he has a LOT of money in his current account and also a sizeable amount in a separate savings account. I'm really angry about this, the left hand doesn't seem to know what the right is doing with this excuse for a bank.

 

[CynthsDaugh]

What a joke. I got a letter from Santander today stating that they do not allow debit cards on this type of account after all! So one person telling me one thing, and someone else telling me another. Rang them up and told them I would just be transferring the whole account over to another bank who CAN offer this facility. They won't be happy, he has a LOT of money in his current account and also a sizeable amount in a separate savings account. I'm really angry about this, the left hand doesn't seem to know what the right is doing with this excuse for a bank.

Oh no! What a complete hassle, don't blame you for being angry. How do they expect people to effectively manage someone elses finances without being able to make direct payment for items!

I'm waiting for my Mums LPA to come through & she banks with Sandander, current account, cash ISA and investment ISA. Going to have to wait till the LPA comes through & register it with Santander before the accounts are moved though, as trying to get Mum to do it even with me there would be a non-starter.

 

[Pickles53]

N**W*** were the easiest of my mum's banks to deal with. No problem with debit card in my name, cheque book with 'my name as POA for mum's name', online banking, all correspondence to me. They got it all set up in one 20-minute appointment and mum didn't have to be there. Had same problem with Santander (who were also the most awkward when I was just helping mum do stuff for herself) but thankfully only had one savings account there. So I just used that account first to pay her care fees with the plan to close it completely once it ran down.

 

[Jessbow]

Santander were a nightmare when it came to dealing with (now late) mums affairs. They didn't have a clue. I already had POA registered with them but they insisted that mum came into branch with me for something ( cant remember specifically what it was now)

After much huffing and puffing I finally agreed and took her in with me. We sat....and we sat...and we sat . MUm walked very little so was in her wheel chair and suddenly got up and went to find a loo.

Well, she tottered one step and the bottom fell out of their world, or more appropriately, the world fell out of her bottom.......

They actually had to shut the branch while they cleaned up the mess.

Funnily enough it was plain sailing after that.

Nat Wet were the polar opposite- brilliant.

 

[Kingfisher1]

When I tried to explain to the advisor about having to use my card, wait to get reimbursed etc, etc, he said why don't I just open up a separate account in my name and get a debit card, and then transfer the money from BIL's account straight into mine afterwards via Internet banking once I've completed each transaction! What an absolute kerfuffle, and just goes to show you how ridiculous this whole rule is..

 

[its a struggle]

Not sure that would be ok under DOA

When I tried to explain to the advisor about having to use my card, wait to get reimbursed etc, etc, he said why don't I just open up a separate account in my name and get a debit card, and then transfer the money from BIL's account straight into mine afterwards via Internet banking once I've completed each transaction! What an absolute kerfuffle, and just goes to show you how ridiculous this whole rule is..

don't think that's ok AT ALL! I'm pretty fed up with our banking institutions who can't seem to get simplest things right. N.......w..e had a total numpty in our branch who managed to cancel mums card and transfer her accounts to me.

Breathe, count to ten & hide the lot under the mattress