ICICI / Landsbanki - identity problems

MagicBurd29

I want to set up a savings account for my mother, for whom I have Power Of Attorney (PoA), who is in a nursing home, and who has neither passport nor driver's licence. Does anyone have any comments or advice on what follows, please?

ICICI are OK with PoA but tell me they insist on passport or driver's licence and accept no alternative. I did some Googling and found that under the Banking Code they should accept alternatives, eg a letter from Matron; but that according to the Guardian as of 24/10 ICICI do not subscribe to the Banking Code. According to the Bank Code website, ICICI's application is pending.

I called ICICI again and asked if they subscribe to the Code; they said they did! So I asked about proof of identity options per the Code; after some delay they said they'd phone me back. Still waiting.

Landsbanki/Icesave tell me they do not allow PoA on their accounts. I haven't found any reference to the Banking Code saying "you should allow PoA to operate any and all account types" so I haven't challenged them.

I see Ruffler Bank, mentioned on moneysavingexpert.com as a high interest payer, are also on the short list of non-subscribers to the Code.

ING Direct were happy with PoA, and said that in practice almost all identity checks are verified through Experian, including nursing home residents; but if that failed they'd send me paperwork listing all the options and they didn't think "letter from Marton" was included.

Thankfully I took over my mother's existing account at Halifax / Bank of Scotland at which time HBOS acknowledged her and my identity so I've set up more accounts with them, and their savings rates aren't too bad, and their online systems work well, but I would have liked the extra interest of ICICI or Icesave.

(As an aside, in the course of selling my mother's flat, her solicitor with whom she has dealt for ten years and who she has met twice, wrote to me just two days before we had to accept a buyer's offer, insisting on passport or driver's licence or the sale would fall through! Eventually, extremely grudgingly, he said that he could write himself a letter accepting her identity. Sheesh!)

Anyway, if you've stuck with me through this long epistle, thanks, and look forward to hearing from you.

bel2310

I have PoA for my mother, also in a residential home. I opened up an ISA for her with Ruffler bank and they were happy to accept PoA, plus a copy of pensions letter and id for me. Hope this helps.

exel1966

earwig1928 wrote:

I want to set up a savings account for my mother, for whom I have Power Of Attorney (PoA), who is in a nursing home, and who has neither passport nor driver's licence. Does anyone have any comments or advice on what follows, please?

ICICI are OK with PoA but tell me they insist on passport or driver's licence and accept no alternative. I did some Googling and found that under the Banking Code they should accept alternatives, eg a letter from Matron; but that according to the Guardian as of 24/10 ICICI do not subscribe to the Banking Code. According to the Bank Code website, ICICI's application is pending.

I called ICICI again and asked if they subscribe to the Code; they said they did! So I asked about proof of identity options per the Code; after some delay they said they'd phone me back. Still waiting.

Landsbanki/Icesave tell me they do not allow PoA on their accounts. I haven't found any reference to the Banking Code saying "you should allow PoA to operate any and all account types" so I haven't challenged them.

I see Ruffler Bank, mentioned on moneysavingexpert.com as a high interest payer, are also on the short list of non-subscribers to the Code.

ING Direct were happy with PoA, and said that in practice almost all identity checks are verified through Experian, including nursing home residents; but if that failed they'd send me paperwork listing all the options and they didn't think "letter from Marton" was included.

Thankfully I took over my mother's existing account at Halifax / Bank of Scotland at which time HBOS acknowledged her and my identity so I've set up more accounts with them, and their savings rates aren't too bad, and their online systems work well, but I would have liked the extra interest of ICICI or Icesave.

(As an aside, in the course of selling my mother's flat, her solicitor with whom she has dealt for ten years and who she has met twice, wrote to me just two days before we had to accept a buyer's offer, insisting on passport or driver's licence or the sale would fall through! Eventually, extremely grudgingly, he said that he could write himself a letter accepting her identity. Sheesh!)

Anyway, if you've stuck with me through this long epistle, thanks, and look forward to hearing from you.

ICICI are not signed up to the Banking Code - application is pending, has been for 18 months - They are however regulated by the FSA, but that has no bearing on what you want.
If they wish to decline you they can quite legitimately do so.