Santander - trying to register online banking for elderly mother

beardiedog

I'm having trouble registering my mum for online banking with Santander. I've filled in the online form but it won't accept her debit card number. I'd ring for her but they won't talk to me about her accounts and she won't talk to anyone as she doesn't understand what they're saying to her.

She has a lot of money lying in a current account, a savings account and an ISA which together are earning less than 0.1% so I'm trying to get as much as possible into one account earning at least 3% if I can. She has mobility problems so it's difficult to get her to the bank.

Any thoughts on what I can do?

Cheers

bubbles0169

Can you get a solicitor to sign you to deal with her affairs

xylophone

Power of Attorney?
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Mentalcapacityandthelaw/Mentalcapacityandplanningahead/DG_194971

Billy_Boy

If your mother is present when you ring they will usually agree to speak to someone else on the account-holder's behalf providing that the account-holder authorises it.

Billy

YorkshireBoy

Billy_Boy wrote: »

If your mother is present when you ring they will usually agree to speak to someone else on the account-holder's behalf providing that the account-holder authorises it.

For an existing set up maybe, but this is a registration phone call meaning that the answers to security questions will have to be set up by the mother, and not overheard by anyone else present.

beardiedog

xylophone wrote: »

Power of Attorney?
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Mentalcapacityandthelaw/Mentalcapacityandplanningahead/DG_194971

Thanks xylophone but I'm hoping to avoid any fees. AFAIK it costs around £125 to get Power of Attorney.

Funkyfreddy

beardiedog wrote: »

Thanks xylophone but I'm hoping to avoid any fees. AFAIK it costs around £125 to get Power of Attorney.

Potentially a relativley small amount to ensure that your Mothers financial affairs (not necessary just her Santander Bank accounts) can be looked after in the correct manner by yourself.

You should do it whilst your Mother is able to understand what you are doing (assuming she would be happy for that to happen) - if not and should her health deteriote you may well regret not spending that £125.

FF

matty17r

I haven't had a problem with santander when dealing with mum's money. As long as she is present when I am phoning they will ask for her permission and a security question then pass it over to me.

YorkshireBoy

matty17r wrote: »

I haven't had a problem with santander when dealing with mum's money. As long as she is present when I am phoning they will ask for her permission and a security question then pass it over to me.

But that's on an existing account, and is something I've done many times in the past.

As this is a registration call for online/telephone banking, they're hardly going to accept full, ie not 1st and 3rd character, answers to security questions when son/daughter is sitting next to mother now are they!?

xylophone

If your mother has mobility problems and doesn't like dealing with money matters, it really might be best if you spent that £120 now.

Believe me, should she become incapable of managing her own affairs, the hassle and expense of an application to the Court of Protection makes £125 look like peanuts.
http://www.saga.co.uk/insurance/legal-services/what-happens-when-there-is-no-power-of-attorney.aspx

Moist_von_Lipwig

It could be that your mother has an A&L debit card which is not recognised by the Santander webpage. You won't be able to register online until a new card is issued and to get one of those your mother will have to visit a branch. As others have said, paying for a POA is a small price to pay for the hassle it will save.