prepaid card for dependent relative

telwebb

Hi - not sure if anyone has any suggestions but thought I'd ask - I have a situation where my stepmother is getting regular care visits during the week which often involve the carers doing a bit of 'top-up' shopping for her. As she rarely, if ever, goes out anymore this means she has no cash so the carers go out armed with her only bank card and pin which is less than ideal. We were thinking it may be a far better solution and in everybodys interests if we could get a prepaid card and manage it on her behalf, letting the carers have access to card and pin but within reasonable limits. The problem we have is a lack of ID (no driving licence, valid passport etc.) and her being unable to apply for herself. Can anyone suggest a simple card that would fit the bill?

Many thanks

Gerry1

The Optimum prepaid Mastercard should do the trick.  It use to be Orange Cash but Orange hived it off in 2015.  The card now costs a fiver.  I applied for one when a prepaid Mastercard was the only way to avoid one of Ryanair's surcharges, and I've kept it because I want one to have just one contactless card available for the odd National Rail journey where it's useful, e.g. Gatwick to London Bridge (taking care to split the journey at East Croydon of course !).

http://www.myoptimumcard.co.uk/

There are a few sneaky fees, e.g. 20p for a PIN change, £1 if you phone them and a 2.95% ATM fee but nothing too catastrophic for its likely usage.

Migster

Another option would be the Post Office card. It is designed for travel but can be used in the UK like a normal card. You can apply online and they will check ID electronically - you only need physical docs if you fail (so relative needs to be on the electoral roll). No upfront fee, but they do charge 1.5% to load GBP with a minimum of £3, so might not be good if you want to make lots of low value top-ups. 

Nebulous2

Assuming the carers work for a care company, and aren’t independently working and paid directly, then using a debit card may well be in breach of their contract. It will also be in breach of your mother’s conditions with her bank, which doesn’t allow her to give others her pin.

There aren’t any easy answers. I’ve come across people installing a safe, with family members keeping it topped up with cash, with either the person themselves having the code, or their carers having the code. It can be used to store basic accounts of expenditure and receipts as well, for someone else to check. 
 Make sure everything you do is agreed by the care company and documented. It should also be reviewed to ensure it is working as planned. 

JGB1955

I used a Cashplus card for exactly the same purposes. I would top it up to £100 from my father's account as necessary.  The carers used it for shopping/petrol/cash as necessary.  The card was on my name. 

Gerry1

Nebulous2 said:

There aren’t any easy answers.

Optimum don't agree !

http://www.myoptimumcard.co.uk/how-it-works/

"Want to share your account with a loved one?

"Whether it’s your partner, a child off to university or travelling abroad, even a flatmate or trusted friend, give them an easy way to access spending money when they need it with an additional card, tied to your main account balance. They can only spend what is loaded onto the card, so you stay in control.

"Apply for an additional card by logging into your online myaccount"

Tildaplum

You could open a starling (or monzo account) in your (or her) name and put the app on your smartphone. I believe Starling have an overdraft slider which you can set to zero hence only the money in the account can be spent ie you can't go overdrawn. 

It comes of course with a debit card and all spending on that card is notified on your phone in real time. You pay money into the account in the normal way eg by faster payment. 

Nebulous2

Gerry1 said:

Nebulous2 said:

There aren’t any easy answers.

Optimum don't agree !

http://www.myoptimumcard.co.uk/how-it-works/

"Want to share your account with a loved one?

"Whether it’s your partner, a child off to university or travelling abroad, even a flatmate or trusted friend, give them an easy way to access spending money when they need it with an additional card, tied to your main account balance. They can only spend what is loaded onto the card, so you stay in control.

"Apply for an additional card by logging into your online myaccount"

There is nothing there to say that it is suitable for a carer. Care companies take a very firm line about staff engaging in financial transactions with the people they support, largely because it often goes wrong.

Gerry1

Not much to go wrong if the OP limits the amount that the card has on it at any given time: it would be no worse than giving the carer a tenner before heading off to the shops.

JGB1955

On a pre-paid card, if there isn't any credit, nothing can be spent.  My father's carers were employed by a care company - they (the carers) kept meticulous records, which I had to 'sign off' when I visited. When my father had to, eventually, go into nursing care the card, accounts and cash matched to the penny.

Nebulous2

JGB1955 said:

On a pre-paid card, if there isn't any credit, nothing can be spent.  My father's carers were employed by a care company - they (the carers) kept meticulous records, which I had to 'sign off' when I visited. When my father had to, eventually, go into nursing care the card, accounts and cash matched to the penny.

That's partly in line with what I said in reply 3. It's essential to agree it with the care company and get it documented. Many companies wont allow carers to use cards with a PIN however.