Power of Attorney access to Nationwide accounts being limited

flaneurs_lobster

NorthernGuy said:

Yes creating a joint account would be a very bad idea indeed.  You're looking after someone else's money and it needs to be entirely separate. 

Regards the earlier post that I'd need a good reason to switch to another bank account, I have no idea where that notion came from?!  I don't know who you think Polices the switching of bank accounts, but as it wouldn't cost a penny and might make administration for the Attorney easier, there could be no objection I can think of nor organisation who'd either notice or care.  So long as the donor isn't losing money, job done.

Forget switching, just open an ordinary current account and chuck a tenner in it. No need to use it for anything at all, just facilitates NW's credit & ID checks.

Lezli105

Hi. I hold POA for my mum who hasn't been able to manage her own finances for several years. I took the document into a bank with proof of my ID, I didn't have a NW account myself. All was sorted in branch. I have a bank card for mums account and have access to her Internet banking etc and can order new cards and cheque books if necessary. 

Zanderman

Lezli105 said:

Hi. I hold POA for my mum who hasn't been able to manage her own finances for several years. I took the document into a bank with proof of my ID, I didn't have a NW account myself. All was sorted in branch. I have a bank card for mums account and have access to her Internet banking etc and can order new cards and cheque books if necessary. 

Well that suggest NWide aren't being consistent at all as that's the opposite of what the OP was told.

Which seems odd.

I assume, when you say NW, you do mean Nationwide and not NatWest?

TheBanker

Zanderman said:

Lezli105 said:

Hi. I hold POA for my mum who hasn't been able to manage her own finances for several years. I took the document into a bank with proof of my ID, I didn't have a NW account myself. All was sorted in branch. I have a bank card for mums account and have access to her Internet banking etc and can order new cards and cheque books if necessary. 

Well that suggest NWide aren't being consistent at all as that's the opposite of what the OP was told.

Which seems odd.

I assume, when you say NW, you do mean Nationwide and not NatWest?

I looked on the Nationwide website and it's consistent with what the OP said, i.e. online access is only available if the attourney has a Nationwide account.

I believe this is likely due to their system restrictions rather than any deliberate attempt to annoy people. As has been suggested many times, opening an account with £1 should resolve this problem. It's a shame Nationwide aren't running a switch campaign at the moment, in the past they've been quite generous. 

TheBanker

NorthernGuy said:

Yes creating a joint account would be a very bad idea indeed.  You're looking after someone else's money and it needs to be entirely separate. 

Regards the earlier post that I'd need a good reason to switch to another bank account, I have no idea where that notion came from?!  I don't know who you think Polices the switching of bank accounts, but as it wouldn't cost a penny and might make administration for the Attorney easier, there could be no objection I can think of nor organisation who'd either notice or care.  So long as the donor isn't losing money, job done.

Completely agree. I don't think anyone will query why you're moving the account. Anyway I think moving the account to an organisation where you can actually access the funds, and therefore fulfill your obligations to manage the doner's finances, would be acting in the doner's best interests. It is not in their best interests to have bills go unpaid because a cheque's gone missing in the post and you can't get to the branch to withdraw cash during working hours! 

eskbanker

Lezli105 said:

Hi. I hold POA for my mum who hasn't been able to manage her own finances for several years. I took the document into a bank with proof of my ID, I didn't have a NW account myself. All was sorted in branch. I have a bank card for mums account and have access to her Internet banking etc and can order new cards and cheque books if necessary. 

Just to be clear, do you mean that they've created login details specifically for you, or just that you're using her password, etc?

NorthernGuy

Zanderman said:

Lezli105 said:

Hi. I hold POA for my mum who hasn't been able to manage her own finances for several years. I took the document into a bank with proof of my ID, I didn't have a NW account myself. All was sorted in branch. I have a bank card for mums account and have access to her Internet banking etc and can order new cards and cheque books if necessary. 

Well that suggest NWide aren't being consistent at all as that's the opposite of what the OP was told.

Which seems odd.

Yes this is not what I've been told nor what's on their website. 

Just to be clear, I am going to open a small savings account with a card, having made further enquiries I think the statement that their systems are the issue, is correct.  You need to exist as an online customer first, and have a card for their card reader to create online payees if given online banking.  The POA account is then tagged on against your online identity.  It's unfortunate their online FAQs doesn't make that clearer.  They're not trying to poach customers, as it first appears, they just haven't modified their systems to allow the Attorney to turn up and takeover the donor's account online as other banks allow.

I will see what I think of this process and how they are.  Certain other things they told me do make me think the earlier posted comment that NW are 'rigid' in their dealing with POAs is correct.  But I'll see how easy or not this turns out to be and decide then if I'll stay or go.

NorthernGuy

Just when I thought things were going to become simpler...

I went to Nationwide this morning with the intention of opening a Saver account to unlock the online access for POA account, as they and others here suggested.

'Sorry, no appointments, people are queuing to be seen.  I suggest you come again, early.'

Now NW's weekday opening hours are incompatible with my job, except some Saturdays, which will push this account opening visit 2 weeks away, plus the time for NW to then open the account & issue card etc, then plus the time to get my restricted POA access upgraded with the newly opened Saver account.  That's weeks we really can't afford, as more bills roll in, after the 12 weeks needed to get the POA document.

So I did what any sane person would and called in at my own bank, Lloyds, to see about opening a POA account there and transferring everything over quickly.  The lady was really helpful, but the more we talked, the more we saw a huge problem.  The account would need to be opened either by the Attorney with Photo ID for the donor (they haven't got a Driving Licence or valid Passport) or by the donor in person with recent bills but also with mental capacity, which they don't have anymore.  The attorney turning up with recent bills and a confused donor would not be accepted.

If I opened a normal current account for POA use at Lloyds, easy online as an existing customer, it would be treated as my money, not the donor's.  Clearly there needs to be a separation, e.g. for the estate of attorney or donor should either die, or should any means test say be applied to me and wrongly see the donor's money as mine.

We could not think of any way for an attorney to open a POA account at another bank if the donor lacks mental capacity and has no Photo ID, a situation probably not uncommon for people slipping into dementia at a ripe old age, long post driving & travelling abroad. 

Whether or not you agree with switching to escape delays and other difficulties, there is a more general question here of whether any attorney can ever switch the bank account used for POA, if the donor lacking capacity is not known at any other bank.

So we may be stuck with NW and their delays and other non standard requirements, for good.  Does anyone see a way around this?

flaneurs_lobster

Is a branch visit a necessity? All my current/savings accounts with NatWide have been opened by online application.

Zanderman

flaneurs_lobster said:

Is a branch visit a necessity? All my current/savings accounts with NatWide have been opened by online application.

Indeed - surely just apply online and go from there.