Sorry, If You're Not The Account Holder We Can't Talk To You

Goldiegirl

I imagine you are stressed out of your mind, which is why you are coming across as frankly, rather rude

People on this site have tried to be helpful, and believe it or not the customer service assistants have tried to help you, but when the response is what comes back from you, I should imagine the people on the phone think 'stuff that, why should I try and help that woman'.

I went through a similar situation with my mother, so I really do know what it's like.

How I coped was by listing everything down, and then tried to work through my list, one thing at a time - if there was a problem, I tried to think calmly about the best way to overcome it.

Regarding the insurance on the property. You mentioned that the property is a flat, so the buildings insurance will be part of the lease, so I assume the insurance you are talking about is the contents insurance.

It sounds as if your mum won't be going back to the property. Therefore, my solution to this problem would be to give a hard look at the contents of the house. Most contents of an old persons house are, if we are honest, past their best, and frankly not worth much. Your mum won't need the contents of her flat if she'll be in a home. Therefore, I'd remove any valuables to my house for safe keeping, and let the contents go uninsured.

Regarding getting LPA - it took my about 12 weeks to get authority to run my mum's affairs, but I did it all myself and didn't bother to use a solicitor.

While I was waiting, I tolde all interested parties what was happening, and just say they'd have to wait for their money until I could operate my mum's accounts.

If they say they are going to get debt collectors in or cut off the electric, let them. These people aren't actually chasing you for the money, they are chasing you mum, and your mum doesn't really care one way or the other.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back from it all.

I've tried to give a few pointers from someone who has been there, so I do hope you will think about my comments, rather than chuck it all back in my face.

daska

wishiwasinliverpool wrote: »

You're right, fluffnutter, I should have researched it more thoroughly, but by the time I found out it was too late and I'd already forked out £700 for this application (correction: my husband did) and I couldn't afford another application, and it was getting Mum to agree to it. I had a hard enough job getting her to agree the first time around. She's been deemed to have enough mental capacity for me not to go through a court of protection application.

I'm confused. The whole point about LPAs is that they can only be taken out while the person is capable and only when they are not capable can the LPA come in to force. So which is she? If she's capable of giving you power of attorney then you only need a bog standard power of attorney to handle her affairs.

mountainofdebt

All I can say is that if you come across as being so rude and full of yourself to the CA as you did to me then I would have been as awkward as I could have possibly been as well.

They were doing their job, keeping to the rules of the DPA - and until that LPA is in place your mum is the account holder - so yes they were doing their job properly.

Surely if you are trying to manage your mum's affairs from a distance, online is the way to go? You can request paperless billing so nothing goes to your mum's address and you can submit meter readings online so you don't have to lie to a human....in fact I bet your OH won't even speak to a human when he phones up tomorrow.

See if you'd only calm down then you'd see that there are ways around the problems you've faced.

sweetme

The "jobsworth" you spoke to has security procedures to follow. These security procedures are in place to effectively protect your mother's account. No customer advisor is going to risk breaching their position to give you information that you are not entitled to until you have POA or LPA.

p.s. shouting and swearing would only end with the operator terminating the call. They do have this right.

mrcow

I've made many a phone call pretending to be my mother and no one has ever had a problem with it. Particularly considering I'm trying to pay a bill. For ease, perhaps you could try and register accounts for online billing etc to stop the stress of having to go up there to get letters etc.

choccybuttons

Hi

Is it possible for you to write letter to these companies but get your mum to sign bottom giving you permssion to act on her behalf. Also if your sister is named on the account could she not get her name swapped to yours.

PurpleJay

I have been known to say to organisations, 'look I know you won't talk to me about my mum's account and that's fine but I just have a bill and would like to pay it, I can give you all the details' and they are perfectly happy. It is right really that they won't discuss things while it is frustrating. I am appointee for my mum and as a result can deal with her state pension and benefits without POA. This was relatively easy to get. I rang up, they came to the care home and met with both of us and agreed there and then. Mum said she was happy for me to deal with things, didn't know where she was and thought her address was the one she had when she was a little girl bless her. She has dementia.

Luckily, mum lived with us so there was little in her own name, her bank account, pensions and the phone bill. The phone bill is still in her name! BT are a nightmare to deal with! When we moved here 3 years ago, mum wanted to keep her number so we transferred her phone account from one address to the other. I paid the direct debit which I set up on line (I pretend to be her - slap wrists). Prior to the move, I rang and they said yes, no problem ring us on the day, she can keep her number. However we had days without the phone and it took weeks for us to change from the temporary number to the one she'd had for over 30 years! Funnily enough, BT have been happy to deal with me on the phone about her account with no consent. I have just said I am responsible for the account and live at the same address they were fine about it.

I hope you get things sorted soon. Make a list and take things one day at a time. Try to remember the safeguards are there to protect people and to be fair you could be anybody ringing up. There should be a procedure in place for the circumstances though - could you ask them to send a letter to the address on file for example and then if you pick it up, they will know you have access to it. Just a thought.

wishiwasinliverpool

joolsybools wrote: »

Wouldn't it just be easier to get a power of attorney then you shouldn't have this problem at all ever again?

I've been waiting since October for it to come through! :rotfl::rotfl:

Update: my husband rang these people this morning.

Post Office. Answer: can't help, no power of attorney through yet. OK, fair do's, mate. Bye.

Debt collectors: Answer: incoherent miserable bggr mumble, OK, will refer back to Post Office and let them know.

Guess which one of the utility companies were the most helpful??!

I am happier than I was and I now know some git isn't going to take my Mum's shirt off her back through no fault of hers.

Yet rest assured once I have Power of Attorney rude or not they're gonna get an earful! :T

wishiwasinliverpool

Oh, and as I speak we're looking at the house insurance.

Tiddlywinks

wishiwasinliverpool wrote: »

Yet rest assured once I have Power of Attorney rude or not they're gonna get an earful! :T

You really do sound like a thoroughly unpleasant individual...

Why do these people "rude or not" deserve an "earful"?

Why the smug hand-clapping smilie?

You need to understand that people are only doing their jobs in accordance with the Law concerning the protection of personal data - they don't deserve to be abused by self important bullies.