No help with dementia from Barclays

oldcarpenter

I have been given authority by Mrs H to approach you for help; she is a very dear friend of 40 years. I appreciate Barclays will not correspond with me in this matter nor do I want to become involved in what is a sensitive and private matter. Mr H... (Peter) is in a care home and has lost his mind and I am afraid Mrs H is herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown with the worry of her husband and his hospital care costs that are mounting by the day. The problem as I understand it is, not all his pension is being transferred into his French account
I understand Peter banked at this branch before they moved to France; he worked for many years at Barclays and has a pension with you… I have no account details but I do have a copy of a French Court Order that Mrs H has been granted regarding all Peter’s Barclay Accounts. You may take a copy if you wish but the original is with Mrs H which no doubt you will need.
I spoke to Mrs H yesterday after obtaining a telephone number from Barclays for her to ring to get guidance on what to do, she is so stressed out that she was unable to make the call. I hope you will have understanding in the position both Mr and Mrs H are in, Peter who has dementia while Mrs H aged 72 needs someone from Barclays to help her take control of their finances. I understand the money is there but she just needs to get to it
I feel because Peter was staff and I understand they pay extra for help with Premier Banking there is a duty that you should help this vulnerable lady. It would help if the same person could make all the contacts so she will not get confused and can trust that person more like a friend, she is not a business type of person.
I have informed Mrs H that I expect someone from Barclays to contact her tomorrow (29/6/11) after calling in at Chelmsford with this letter, her telephone being --. She visits Peter most days but will be home after 15.30 GMT.
This was the letter I handed in and discussed at the branch with names and telephone numbers removed. This is not a multi million pension but a very modest amount from a junior manager with 25 years service. I was informed by two managers; 1/ Mrs H must come to the UK to sort this out even if she has no money. 2/ this could not be done at Cannes. 3/ the branch could not telephone outside the UK. 4/ I even offered to use my mobile so the manager could speak to Mrs H but she would not. 5/ on returning home the manager called me to ask if I would make a complaint because only this could be done with someone living in the UK.
I have spoken to Mrs H twice since, first saying she must come to the UK which she broke down with this news and said she is unable because of costs and not wanting to be away from her husband. Later she spoke to someone in Leeds from Barclays who said to send the Court Order to Barclay’s legal team, the order will have to be translated and certified by whom and how this is paid for she was unsure. I understand she said to do it and pay for it out of the account she is trying to get into with the court order but she has no authority to do this at this moment in time. I fear in a week or two Barclays will realize their advice was wrong and have a chicken-egg situation. This may also be a call centre employee trying to be helpful because this is totally opposite from what I was being informed at Chelmsford when the manager was talking to their legal department.
Peter who would never have a bad word spoken about his beloved Barclays Bank would I'm sure not believe he or his wife would be treated in such an unprofessional and callus way, that is if he were able to relate to the situation. Even when Barclays cut off a staff private health care in France at the start of his illness some two years ago he believed they made a mistake. The truth is, he is bed ridden, can not feed himself and in nappies, on and off drips and may well be discharged from care because his wife can not get control of their money to pay about 6 month care costs as the account the pension was paid into was not a joint account. I also understand prior to becoming involved myself there has been numerous call from Mrs H to Barclays trying to get some help without success.
Any thoughts or suggestions. oldcarpenter

　
　

peterbaker

I think you need to find a number for the executive directors' suite at 1 Churchill Place. Barclays are simply not geared anymore to deal expertly with real life problems like this in the call centres or branches. You will get as many different responses at those levels as there are individuals to talk to, all based on the restricted authority, resources and fears they have in such matters.

Barclays is a worldwide bank and worldwide employer. They have the means to fix this first thing Monday morning.

Hopefully an eagle eye will spot this thread before then.

Cook_County

It appears that neither spouse created a power of attorney within the UK (either an LPA or an EPA). It also sounds as if the French equivalent has not been created.

I think you will need the help of an advocat in France able to deal with the French courts as the issues you describe will require the French courts to ask the Court of Protection to intervene.

There is nothing at all you can do unless you wish to offer to pay the advocat's fees.

This is now a highly complicated cross-border matter simply because the individuals concerned failed to prepare in either jurisdiction.

peterbaker

I wonder if an eagle eye has spotted this yet? Probably half of them are at Wimbledon or watching it on their 3D tellies.

Hopefully they will see this in high definition in the morning ...

atush

Peter, as far as I can see (for immediate help rathre than longwinded) is for you to fly to france and bring Mrs H home with the court order and any ad all paperwork in hand incl Mr H's.

These can at least be verified and a meeting attended after which she can go home and be back with her husband.

I know money is tight, but perhaps you and other firends can lend her the money for the trip. In the off chance you can afford a RT for just yourself, if you went (and bought a good roaming package with your Mobile carrier if needed) then you could call the relevant premier banking advisors and then hand the phone over to her for her to acknoledge you act for her. Then she hands the phone back to you and they will deal with you. In this case data protection is overruled by consent and they will talk to you. They may also give you the wording for a fax or letter you could send to them to make you speak for her (I have done these both to help sort out another person's finances).

The other thing to do if you cannot or won't do the former, is to involve the local birtish consulate, or the broadsheet newspapers financial pages consumer advocate ( ie I read the times and telegraphs pages and they have helped in these situations. They usually take a while but will persevere and will act quickly in the case of dire need.

peterbaker

I think you meant to address your post to oldcarpenter atush, but no matter, sound advice if all else fails. The problem with it is that premier banking may only be able to sort part of the problem. This problem really needs a powerful overseer to sort it out good.

I found myself thinking about this last night.

There is a chance that Peter (the retired Barclays employee who needs full time care) was probably a Unite or Amicus member. In days gone by, when I was in ASTMS which got absorbed as a union yonks ago, I remember there was a very visible Union benevolent fund arm. In those days, unions were well funded for the benefit of ordinary members and the union was constantly feeling the pulse of its membership and its retired membership and regularly asking us to submit cases if we knew of anyone who needed help.

Possibly there is still some such thing.

However, I still reckon that for one of their retirees who would never have a bad word said about his beloved Barclays, that Barclays are the obvious citizen who should discreetly pick this up and run with it. They can even mobilise the relevant section of the union as they do pride themselves that they work in partnership.

With luck it it has already happened and oldcarpenter has received the necessary PM.

atush

Yes, sorry I meant OC.

So the union is another point of call for the OP.

oldcarpenter

I have been contacted by head office with someone who seems to have some authority unlike the two robots at Chelmsford. Thank you to cook county, atush and especially peterbaker whose help I followed. The matter is on going but some progress.

oldcarpenter.:)

atush

thank goodness, keep us apprised of general developments.

peterbaker

A Barclays old-timer (and his missus) with "Barclays" still stamped through him like a stick of rock deserves nothing less

Excellent news - well played all

oldcarpenter

Another update
Dear readers,
I have received a letter from a Barclays customer relations advisor thanking me for taking the time and trouble to complain, saying they are looking into my concerns and will contact me no later than 27 July. This is slightly worrying because I have not made a complaint; I was asked if I would make one but have not to date because I believed the matter was being resolved by head office, I was wrong. I may be an old chippy but was fully aware there would be very strict procedure required and rightly so by Barclays. I organized the French solicitor for the court and knew this would need translating and authentication which is why I brought a copy home with me and was in the process of having this done so Mrs H could take it to Cannes in person, (Peter is not a illegal immigrant who would have had this done for him in the UK with a translator in court free) Peter only worked for Barclays for not as I have stated 25 but 43 years and a recipient of a MBE, Human Rights!!! This is irrelevant but does wind me up, I continue; It seems after speaking to Mrs H the man from head office has spoken to her twice, the first seemed promising, the second saying the legal department had not received the copy of the court order which I do not believe, as it was posted air mail 10 days ago, even if they had, they will not translate it themselves. I believe the only reason head office telephoned me was because I sent them a print out of my complaint and replies from this site together with a strongly worded covering letter, the reply box then can be ticked in order for the FOS. My only consolation is I have not banked with Barclays for over 35 years and Mrs H is going to change their bank when this is over to a real International Bank, and Pete, well his beloved Barclays remain a distant memory, gone forever.