Giving someone access to your account, and the right to operate it, is an important decision but it could be essential for your future.
There are lots of reasons why you might need help with your financial arrangements. Maybe you’re in the hospital and need someone to pay your bills or sort out your day-to-day stuff for a little while. Or maybe it’s something more serious, like if you’ve had an accident or been told you have an illness that makes it hard to manage your finances on your own. There is also help available should you lose mental capacity and someone is required to be appointed on your behalf.
Temporary support for transactions and account management
If someone else needs to take money out of your account at the branch, we’ll need your permission first.
The easiest way to do this is by filling out an "Authority to Withdraw" form, which you can get at the branch. This form must be filled in and signed by you, the account holder.
If you can’t get the form, that’s okay, a letter from you giving permission will also work. In the letter, please include:
- Your name, address, and account number
- The name of the person you’re giving permission to
- How much money they’re taking out
- The date
- Your signature
We’ll also need the person taking the money out to bring ID with them.
If it’s a cash withdrawal, they can take out up to £100. If it’s a cheque, there’s no set limit, however the cheque and passbook will be posted to the account holder.
We can talk to someone on the account holder’s behalf over the phone, but only if we’ve spoken to the account holder first to check some security details.
This is to keep the account safe.
We’ll need to do this security check every time a call is made, even if it’s the same person calling again.
Power of Attorney and Court of Protection
Power of Attorney is a legal document where one person (the donor) gives someone they trust (the attorney) the right to make decisions on their behalf and in their best interests. This can only be set up whilst the donor still has mental capacity to make decisions.
The Office of the Public Guardian polices the activities of Attorneys, Deputies and Guardians who act on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity to make their own decisions.
An application to become a Deputy on behalf of someone is necessary when they lack mental capacity and a Power of Attorney was not set up prior to this occurring.
This means they cannot make a decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made. They may still be able to make decisions for themselves at certain times.
People may lack mental capacity because:
- They’ve had a serious brain injury or illness
- They have dementia
- They have severe learning disabilities
As a Deputy, you’ll be authorised by the Court of Protection to make decisions on their behalf.
The Court of Protection have guidance available for you should you wish to learn more about the application process and what is entailed:
Deputies: make decisions for someone who lacks capacity - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The services promoted on this page are not regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority nor the Financial Conduct Authority.
Would you like to talk things through?
If you'd rather talk to us in person you can book an appointment at our King Street branch, call us or write to us at the following address.
Manchester Building Society,
PO Box 995,
Wallsend,
NE28 5FR
