Grandparent with dementia - need to downgrade their current account

SevenOfNine

I'd move it along to a formal complaint, with the reasons jonesMUFC has suggested.  For initial call centre contact I habitually note date, time & name, it has been useful on occasions when I've had to push harder because they tend to give a generic response.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Your grandparent isn't simply a "bank account number", she lacks mental capacity, no-one has PoA, which doesn't make it right or inevitable that she should be locked into a fee paying a/c with a lot of features useless to her now.

NottinghamKnight

I'd agree formal complaint, possibly two on the basis of one being mis selling and a second on the lack of a reasonable response in relation to treating customers fairly. TSB are very poor in my experience and lack any flexibility, I've numerous easy savers left from regular saver accounts that are open with nothing in as they refuse to close them without a branch visit.

xylophone

 I've numerous easy savers left from regular saver accounts that are open with nothing in as they refuse to close them without a branch visit.

https://www.tsb.co.uk/help-and-support/general/close-account/
How do I close a savings account?

You can close your account by completing the online form (if you have a passport or photo driving licence) or by downloading and sending the form back to us.

Postal Address:

Banking Services
TSB Bank plc
PO Box 373
Leeds
LS14 9GQ

jbuchanangb

Some years ago it was necessary for my wife to apply for a deputyship (then known as receivership) for her sister who lived in a care home. The sister had indeed been signing blank cheques and had been robbed. Her only income was Pension Credit, and her only outgoings should have been to the council for the cost of her residential care. We  had to reimburse her some of the stolen money, and the multiple penalty fees applied by her bank for unauthorised overdraft. We stumped up the fee for the application to the court of Protection, which was, if I recall correctly approximately 75% of the lady's assets. I think we also paid the fee to the doctor for the private report that she lacked mental capacity. The Court of Protection  did refund the fee. A salutary tale. No matter how complicated the process, the OP should start applying for the deputyship. The grandparent will have to bear the cost in the end, even if you pay the fees yourself upfront, when you are appointed, it is legitimate to reimburse yourself from their funds.

jonesMUFCforever

jbuchanangb said:

Some years ago it was necessary for my wife to apply for a deputyship (then known as receivership) for her sister who lived in a care home. The sister had indeed been signing blank cheques and had been robbed. Her only income was Pension Credit, and her only outgoings should have been to the council for the cost of her residential care. We  had to reimburse her some of the stolen money, and the multiple penalty fees applied by her bank for unauthorised overdraft. We stumped up the fee for the application to the court of Protection, which was, if I recall correctly approximately 75% of the lady's assets. I think we also paid the fee to the doctor for the private report that she lacked mental capacity. The Court of Protection  did refund the fee. A salutary tale. No matter how complicated the process, the OP should start applying for the deputyship. The grandparent will have to bear the cost in the end, even if you pay the fees yourself upfront, when you are appointed, it is legitimate to reimburse yourself from their funds.

Why did you have to reimburse your sister for money stolen? 

NottinghamKnight

jbuchanangb said:

Some years ago it was necessary for my wife to apply for a deputyship (then known as receivership) for her sister who lived in a care home. The sister had indeed been signing blank cheques and had been robbed. Her only income was Pension Credit, and her only outgoings should have been to the council for the cost of her residential care. We  had to reimburse her some of the stolen money, and the multiple penalty fees applied by her bank for unauthorised overdraft. We stumped up the fee for the application to the court of Protection, which was, if I recall correctly approximately 75% of the lady's assets. I think we also paid the fee to the doctor for the private report that she lacked mental capacity. The Court of Protection  did refund the fee. A salutary tale. No matter how complicated the process, the OP should start applying for the deputyship. The grandparent will have to bear the cost in the end, even if you pay the fees yourself upfront, when you are appointed, it is legitimate to reimburse yourself from their funds.

There is also the annual insurance cost which can run to £1k - £1.5k. 
Why wasn't the theft/ fraud reported, bank fees should certainly have been refunded. 

[Deleted User]

A POA is there for a very good reason - to stop people just claiming the person has some kind of condition and the bank should just accept it at face value. Making a complaint that the bank are doing what is right to protect their customer is ridiculous! Can you imagine the complaint if they allowed anyone to make changes just because someone who isn't the customer or has POA said so? 

[Deleted User]

SevenOfNine said:

I'd move it along to a formal complaint, with the reasons jonesMUFC has suggested.  For initial call centre contact I habitually note date, time & name, it has been useful on occasions when I've had to push harder because they tend to give a generic response.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Your grandparent isn't simply a "bank account number", she lacks mental capacity, no-one has PoA, which doesn't make it right or inevitable that she should be locked into a fee paying a/c with a lot of features useless to her now.

How does the bank know that its actually true? The OP has an honest voice? They could be scamming the person and trying to manipulate them to get their money! 

xylophone

How does the bank know that its actually true? The OP has an honest voice? They could be scamming the person and trying to manipulate them to get their money! 

As far as I understand it, the OP has no control over the grandparent's money so it is difficult to see how he/she could manipulate her to get at it.

I would be surprised if the lady has much by way of ready cash and the bank account is inaccessible by the OP.

The OP is not trying to close the account much less to access it - the idea is to downgrade  a fee paying account to a standard no frills in order to save the grandparent money?

Under the circumstances, I would be inclined to obtain a letter from the manager of the care home and/or the  grandparent's doctor attesting to her incapacity and would send that to the bank with a request to downgrade the account so as to save the customer unnecessary expense.

Banks can choose unilaterally to close accounts or change the terms of accounts - why should they not accede to a simple request in these particular circumstances?

SevenOfNine

camelot1971 said:

SevenOfNine said:

I'd move it along to a formal complaint, with the reasons jonesMUFC has suggested.  For initial call centre contact I habitually note date, time & name, it has been useful on occasions when I've had to push harder because they tend to give a generic response.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Your grandparent isn't simply a "bank account number", she lacks mental capacity, no-one has PoA, which doesn't make it right or inevitable that she should be locked into a fee paying a/c with a lot of features useless to her now.

How does the bank know that its actually true? The OP has an honest voice? They could be scamming the person and trying to manipulate them to get their money! 

Xylophone has summed up my expectation.  I was suggesting a formal complaint on the basis that OP doesn't appear to be an idiot, & would be supplying the necessary paperwork regarding dementia in support of the request.

"Manipulate them to get their money", interesting that you may think that requesting downgrading to a 'no fee' account would give OP any sort of access, unless a more basic account is less 'access' secure. Can't really comment on that.