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Barclays - Third-party access to bank accounts Getting help, or helping someone else

Third-party access to bank accounts

From power of attorney to Court of Protection orders, we explain the options for getting help to manage your accounts, and what to do if you’ve been appointed to help someone else.

How to set up third-party access

We’re here to give you practical guidance and support you every step of the way.

1. First steps

First, the person you’re helping needs to decide on the type of support they need – they might want to talk about options with family or get independent legal advice.

Things to consider

2. Set up the authority

If you’re setting up a power of attorney or Court of Protection Order for someone, you’ll first need to set this up with the Office of the Public Guardian or apply to the courts.

Types of authority

3. Register with us

Once your authority is in place, you’ll need to register it with us and provide us with the documents we need. 

How to register

4. Managing the account

Depending on the type of authority you registered for, you might be able to manage the person’s accounts using Online Banking or Telephone Banking, or with a debit card. 

Manage the account

Making sure the right support is in place

There may be circumstances – either now or in the future – where you’ll need a bit of help with managing your money. Planning for the future can be difficult, especially when we don’t know what’s around the corner. But making sure you have the right support in place in case you’re not able to manage your money yourself could prevent lengthy – and often difficult – situations.

Having someone help you

There are several options available, depending on the amount of help you need. Is it help with day-to-day finances, or do you need to hand over control?

In most circumstances, you’ll keep full access to your accounts. But if you’re no longer able to make decisions about your finances, you can delegate full control to someone you trust in advance.

Planning for the future can help to make sure that the people you trust can help you in an emergency.

Helping someone else

If someone you care for becomes unwell or is taken into hospital, being able to pay bills or withdraw money on their behalf can ease stress at a difficult time.

There are a number of options available, depending on the type of support you need to give them.

Independent financial and legal advice can help you, and the person you’re caring for, put the right precautions in place for the future.

  

Key things to consider

Hopefully, you’ll never need to ask someone to help you manage your money. But in case life takes an unexpected turn, we’re here to help you feel in control. 

  • 1. Which option is right for me?

    There are various options available to help with money management, both now and when planning for the future. You’ll need to decide carefully on which option works best for you.

    For example, a third-party authority agreement may suit you if you want someone to help you complete basic banking transactions, like accessing cash or checking your balance.

    This could be a family member or a friend, but if you’d like someone to have more control over your finances if something were to happen to you, you could appoint someone with lasting power of attorney. Other options are available, too, which we explain in more detail.

  • 2. Where can I get independent advice?

    Where can I get independent advice?

    The Citizens Advice website has impartial information on how to manage the affairs of someone else.

    We’re not able to give you any legal or financial advice, but here are details of other organisations and groups that could help.

    The Office of Public Guardian

    publicguardian.gov.uk or call 0300 456 0300

    Age UK

    ageuk.org.uk or call free on 0800 169 65 65

    Mental Health Foundation

    mentalhealth.org.uk or call 020 7803 1101

    MIND (National Association for Mental Health)

    mind.org.uk or call the advice line on 020 8519 2122

    Citizens’ Advice Bureau

    citizensadvice.org.uk or call 08444 111 444

    British Bankers’ Association

    bba.org.uk or call 020 7216 8800

    Carer’s Trust

    carers.org.uk or call 0844 800 4361

    stroke.org.uk or call 0303 3033 100

    Call charges

Third-party authority

A third-party authority is a short-term agreement between you and someone you trust (the ‘nominee’). This could be a family member or close friend who can access your bank accounts and pay bills or withdraw money on your behalf.

  • You can cancel the agreement whenever you like
  • It doesn’t have to be registered with the authorities
  • Your nominee doesn’t have to bank with us, but we will need to keep a record of their details
  • You can choose up to two nominees

What your nominee can do

  • Access your transactions and ask for a balance or statement
  • Ask us to send a statement to you or them
  • Order a chequebook or credit book
  • Have and use a debit card for your account
  • Access Telephone Banking or Online Banking

 

Who’s it suitable for?

A third-party authority may be useful if

  • You want someone you trust to have access to your money
  • You need help managing your finances in the short term or during periods of illness, or if you have recurring mental health problems
  • You want to specify which accounts your nominee has access to and how they access them – using Online Banking, for example, or only in branch
  • You’re going abroad for up to a year
  • You’re going to university
  • You’re going into hospital

What your nominee can’t do

  • Change the type of account you have
  • Change your name, address or contact details
  • Open or close accounts
  • Changes or apply for products or services, such as insurance, credit cards or loans
  • Access any documents you've stored in Barclaysafe
  • Personalise your debit card

Who isn’t it suitable for?

A third-party authority isn’t suitable if

  • You or your nominee are under 18
  • You or your nominee lack mental capacity to manage financial affairs
  •  You want to set limits on transactions made by your nominee (lasting power of attorney would be more suitable)
  • You’re going through bankruptcy
  • You want your nominee to have access to Barclays Smart Investor

  • Power of attorney

    A power of attorney (PoA) is a legal document that gives someone the authority to make decisions about property and finances on someone else’s behalf. In some cases, what the attorney can and can’t do will depend on your ability to make decisions about your finances.

    You must be mentally capable to give your authority to trusted individuals as attorneys.

    There are different types of PoA, which we’ve explained in more detail. For us to accept your delegation, it needs to be a PoA that relates to property and financial affairs.

    Lasting power of attorney

    This type of PoA is completed through the Office of the Public Guardian. Once it’s in place, you can use it both when you’re mentally capable and incapable if

    • You want someone you trust to have access to your money
    • You need long-term help managing your finances
    • You want to specify which accounts your attorney has access to and how they access them
    • You’re moving abroad or going travelling for more than a year
    • You’re going to university
    • You’re going into hospital

    You can add instructions and preferences to the document, including when you’d like attorneys to be able to act and how they’ll do so.

    Enduring power of attorney

    This type of PoA was in place before 1 October 2007 but has since been replaced by a lasting power of attorney. If you have one in place, you can still use it, in the same way as a lasting power of attorney.  

    If you lose your mental capacity, the enduring power of attorney document must be registered with the Office of Public Guardian

    General power of attorney

    This type of PoA is only valid if you’re mentally capable and

    • You want someone you trust to have access to your money
    • You need short-term help managing your finances or during periods of illness, or if you have recurring mental health problems
    • You want to specify which accounts your attorney has access to and how they access them
    • You’re going abroad for up to a year
    • You’re going to university
    • You’re going into hospital

    Scottish power of attorney

    If you live in Scotland, there’s a Scottish Office of the Public Guardian that offers

    • Continuing power of attorney, which provides attorneys with the authority to deal with finances and property
    • Welfare power of attorney, which provides attorneys with the power to make decisions around health or personal welfare matters – this can’t be used with a financial institution
    • Combined power of attorney, which gives attorneys both continuing and welfare rights

    Can I have more than one attorney?

    Yes, though it’s important to consider whether you’d like them to act ‘jointly’ or ‘jointly and severally.’ This will affect how they manage your account.

    Jointly – all attorneys will need to be present to carry out a transaction and they won’t be able to manage your account in Telephone Banking or Online Banking, or have a debit card for your account. 

    Jointly and severally – attorneys can act independently, or together. They’ll be able to manage your account in Telephone and Online Banking, and have a debit card for your account.

    Prepare your documents

    If you’ve been legally authorised to access someone’s account, we’ll need to see an original or certified copy of your power of attorney document. Please bring it with you to your appointment. Gov.uk has more information on how to certify documents. 

    Further help

    Download the PoA toolkit [PDF, 3.3MB]

  • Court of Protection order

    The Court of Protection is the authority that deals with making decisions on financial or welfare matters for people who, due to mental incapacity, can no longer make those decisions themselves. It’s the proposed ‘deputy’ that applies to the court, rather than the person needing the help.

    When could I consider a Court of Protection order?

    A Court of Protection order is an option if the person needing help has lost mental capacity and they don’t have a PoA, or anyone else to manage their finances. There are several reasons people may lack mental capacity, for example

    • They’ve had a serious brain injury or illness
    • They have dementia
    • They have severe learning disabilities

    Deputies are authorised by the Court of Protection to make decisions on behalf of the person needing help.

    The application can be a lengthy process for deputies trying to gain access. The courts will need to make sure they’re safeguarding those people who can no longer manage or look after their own affairs. While this is in progress, we can still pay essential bills from the person’s account, as long as those bills are in their name.

    Once the deputy is appointed they can

    • Manage a current account in Telephone Banking and Online Banking (as long as they’ve been appointed to act jointly and severally)
    • Use a debit card for the account
    • Sign cheques (the signature should be followed by ‘PoA’)
    • Have statements sent to their address
    • Update address details
    • Add, remove and cancel standing orders and Direct Debits
    • Open and close accounts

    Prepare your documents

    If you’ve been legally authorised to access someone’s account, we’ll need to see the original or a certified copy of the Court of Protection Order. Please bring it with you to your appointment.

  • Appointeeship

    This allows a delegated person to manage benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on behalf of someone else. You can apply for an appointeeship though the DWP.

    You can apply for the right to deal just with the benefits of someone over the age of 16 who’s unable to manage their own affairs because they’re mentally incapable or severely disabled.

    When could I consider an appointeeship?

    Unlike a power of attorney or Court of Protection order, an appointeeship only allows you to manage the benefits and not any other form of income or savings the person may have.

    Appointees manage benefit claims and benefit money on behalf of the person who’s mentally unable to do so. The appointee is also responsible for reporting any changes in the person’s circumstances.

    If the person has the mental capacity to manage their own benefits but would like some support from a trusted individual, they would need to grant power of attorney instead.

    Once appointed, the appointee can

    • Manage the account the benefits are paid into
    • Pay bills, including signing cheques
    • Use a debit card
    • Have statements sent to their address
    • Update address details
    • Add, remove and cancel standing orders and Direct Debits
    • An appointee can’t have access to Telephone Banking or Online Banking.

    Prepare your documents

    If the DWP agrees with the application, they’ll send you Form BF57 to confirm you’ve been formally appointed to act for the claimant – you’re not the appointee until this happens. You’ll need to bring this form with you to your appointment.

How to register with us

Visit one of our branches

If you’re registering as a third-party authority, both you, the person you’re helping and any joint account holders need to attend

If you’re registering as a power of attorney, Court of Protection or DWP appointee, only the appointed representatives need to attend. You can do this separately, at different times and in different branches, but we’ll only set up access once you’ve all visited us

Your appointment will last between 30 minutes and an hour. Find your nearest branch.

During the coronavirus situation, we’re doing all we can to make sure our branches run smoothly while supporting the wellbeing of our colleagues and customers, so it might take a bit longer than usual to get an appointment.

If you can’t visit a branch

If you can’t visit a branch because of lockdown restrictions, please call 0345 075 7475** (option 1) to register a new authority. If you don’t already bank with us, you’ll need ID documents such as a passport or photocard driving licence to hand. You’ll also need to have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer, as we’ll ask you to upload copies of your documents during the call.

So you know, we can’t complete transactions, book branch appointments or answer questions on this number. If you have a question, take a look at our banking from home guide or call 0345 734 5345* (+44 24 7684 2100* if you’re abroad).

What to bring to your appointment

Here’s what you’ll need to bring along

If you already bank with us and have a debit card with us, you’ll need to bring it with you and know your PIN

If you don’t bank with us, you’ll need to bring your ID and proof of address. You can see acceptable forms of ID on our identifications page

We’ll need to see the full original or certified legal document, not just the summary page. This can be several pages long, so please make sure you bring the full document

For new lasting powers of attorney registered after July 2020, we can accept your access code in a branch once you’ve created an account with GOV.UK. Codes last 30 days, so make sure it hasn’t expired before your appointment. However, if the person has specified any preferences and instructions, we’ll need to ask you for the full paper legal document

What happens next

Once we receive everything we need, we’ll aim to set up your access within ten working days. If we need anything else from you, we’ll get in touch by email or phone.

When it’s set up, we’ll send you a letter to confirm that you have access, along with anything else you asked for, such as Online and Telephone Banking details, or debit cards.  

   

Managing someone’s accounts

The type of authority you have will affect how you can manage the person’s accounts once you’re registered with us. Depending on whether you have power of attorney, a Court of Protection order or third-party authority, you’ll have access to these features

FeatureIf you’re appointed to act ‘jointly and severally’ If you’re appointed to act ‘jointly’

Debit card    
Online Banking     
Telephone Banking    
Barclays app    
Manned counter in branch   All attorneys must be together
Self-service machines in branch    

Cheque book (only available if the person has lost mental capacity)

  All attorneys must sign together

Using Telephone Banking

If you have a question or need to make a transfer but can’t visit a branch, call our Telephone Banking team on 0345 734 5345* (+44 24 7684 2100* if you’re abroad). You’ll need your Telephone Banking membership number and passcode when you call – we’ll have sent you this in a letter when you registered with us. 

Logging in to Online Banking

Our handy Banking from home guide explains how to make transfers and manage payments.

If you already bank with us

  • Log in using the membership details for your own account
  • To switch between your accounts and the person’s accounts you’re managing, select ‘Switch customer’ in the help bar or go to ‘Profile’ and select the person’s name at the bottom of the dropdown box

If you’re new to Barclays and logging in for the first time

  • If you’re eligible and chose to manage your accounts with Online Banking when you registered with us, we’ll have sent you a membership number and passcode
  • Go to our log in page, and enter your surname and 12-digit membership number
  • Enter your 5-digit passcode and create a memorable word that contains both letters and a number, then select ‘Log in’
  • You’ll then see the name of the person you’re linked to. Select the person whose account you want to manage, then ‘Manage’

Ways to contact us

Choose the best option to suit your needs.

Phone

If you’re an attorney or deputy and need to make a transaction on someone else’s behalf, call us1 on 0345 734 5345*, or +44 24 7684 2100* if you’re abroad.

If you want to register your new third-party authority, appointeeship, power of attorney, Court of Protection, or GMPO, call us2 on 0345 075 7475 (option 1)**. 

Branch

Some of our branches have changed their regular opening hours or have temporarily closed because of the pandemic. We're updating our branch finder regularly.

Post

If you’d prefer to write to us, you can send a letter to

Barclays Delegated Authority Team
Barclays Service Centre,
Leicester,
LE87 2BB

* Lines are open 24/7 – except during the Christmas period, when they may be closed at off-peak times.

** Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and Saturdays, 9am to 2pm.

Who to contact

Telephone

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