LPOA and utilities

ChickenLicken12

Hoping this is correct forum as it’s to do with a utility company and bill management. 
I have LPOA for my Mum for both Finance and Health. She is now no longer able to manage her finances without support snd we are finding post stuffed everywhere. 

I have registered LPOA for every organisation she’s involved with, without any issue and the access codes on GOV UK have been a godsend for doing this. 

That is until I get to Utility Warehouse who deal with her gas, electric, phone and broadband!
They have finally said (after 3 weeks) 
Thank you for providing us with the LPA codes. I was able to download the financial LPA and have added this to the relevant account. However, the code for the medical LPA seems to be expired as I cannot locate the relevant document with it.

Currently we still won't be able to discuss account details with this LPA, as the financial one seems to only cover investments into a management scheme rather than household services and bills.

It was my understanding that LPOA was there to help management of finances including bills. 

How can we do right by Mum (stop paperbills , submit readings, change tariffs, stop broadband) when we can’t discuss the account in any way !! 

And Mum certainly doesnt have the capacity 

Any advice would be immensely appreciated 
thank you 

elsien

The usual financial power of attorney does cover utilities and bills. Utility warehouse do not need the health power-of-attorney information, that is not relevant to them. 

Who has told you that it only covers investments? Is that something that has been put into the power-of-attorney itself or something that you’ve been told somewhere else? 

Keep_pedalling

Very odd, why did you even give them the code for health and welfare it is nothing to do with them?

elsien

Did your mother put restrictions into the power of attorney to stop you from doing certain things? If not then you can use it as it is.  If she has, then I suggest you phone the  OPG as a starting point as to where you go next. 

In the meantime, there is nothing to stop you submitting meter readings on her behalf to make sure bills are correct, while you sort out the LPA issues.  You can usually do that by phone or online without needing to speak to anyone.

ChickenLicken12

@elsien

It is UW who said that! 

On Mum’s LPOA on the preference /instruction section it mentions that we “may” invest savings into managed accounts but whoever it was at UW thinks this is what the whole LPOA is for.
what you said is what I thought too. 

Thank you 

ChickenLicken12

I can’t do any readings online as Mum has no on line account - doesn’t have a mobile or laptop or any email address!  Everything was done via paper bills and think she set it up and that was it! 

elsien

They should still accept readings if you phone as you are not asking them for any confidential information so no data protection issues.
"The easiest way to manually send meter readings is through your online account but you can also submit them by calling 0333 777 0777."

Then just make a complaint because they have clearly misunderstood. And point them at this, highlighting the bills bit and pointing that nowhere does it say in the LPA that you can't do that.
Lasting power of attorney: acting as an attorney: Property and financial affairs attorneys - GOV.UK

ChickenLicken12

@Keep_pedalling
thanks for the reply - yes my error in giving them Health and Welfare - I didn’t realise at the time that it wasn’t needed. 

And yes it is all odd 
I don’t think they know what to do! 

Keep_pedalling

ChickenLicken12 said:

@Keep_pedalling
thanks for the reply - yes my error in giving them Health and Welfare - I didn’t realise at the time that it wasn’t needed. 

And yes it is all odd 
I don’t think they know what to do! 

More like they don’t know what they are doing 😫

Robin9

You can open an online account on her behalf.

MWT

ChickenLicken12 said:

@elsien

It is UW who said that! 

On Mum’s LPOA on the preference /instruction section it mentions that we “may” invest savings into managed accounts but whoever it was at UW thinks this is what the whole LPOA is for.
what you said is what I thought too. 

Thank you 

Depending upon her exact wording, and where she put it, she may have inadvertently limited the scope of the LPA, which is why the general advice is to leave this section blank.

If it is in the 'Preferences' section then it is not binding, if she put it in the 'Instructions' section then she has indeed limited the scope of your actions as her attorney.