Kent Reliance accounts going online

bjorn_toby_wilde

An elderly relative has a couple of savings accounts with Kent Reliance. KR are moving these to online management only. She doesn’t feel happy about online banking so has asked me to manage them for her.

I have power of attorney although have never needed to use it before. She’s perfectly sound of mind; just doesn’t want to bank online.

We tried to organise this with Kent Reliance over the phone yesterday and I found their procedures a bit bizarre. Their customer services team said that if my POA was added to the account, I wouldn’t be allowed to manage the account online. Only the account holder would be able to do that.

We were actually advised that the best way for me to manage the account was for her to set it up then just give the password to me and change all the contact details to my own.

I thought the whole point of POA was to make it easier for a relative to manage someone’s account. This seems to make it harder.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Woodstok2000

Yeah, and if there were ever any fraudulent activity or she got scammed by someone, I can imagine what they'd say if it was apparent she had shared her login details, even at their request.

This seems mad...

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131353#Comment_82131353

Agreed. Ask KR to put this advice in writing - you don't want comeback if something does go wrong.

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131407#Comment_82131407

sounds like the OP was misunderstood and customer service need to know that the account is already open.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131428#Comment_82131428

It does also say elsewhere that if you add an attorney to an account, they won't be able to use online services.

mon3ysav3r

Kent Reliance have recently been busy moving customers from one IT portal to another, me included.

KR haven't been particularly competitive with some of their savings rates lately, perhaps it may just be easier to open new savings account(s) with a bank or building society who either have local branches, and/or with those who have the ability to allow two people to manage the same savings account(s).

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131407#Comment_82131407

That’s really interesting. It does seem that they should be able to allow me to operate the account.

The problem is that, as @Woodstok2000 says, their advice elsewhere contradicts that.

I have already been thinking that I should move the accounts elsewhere. @mon3ysav3r ‘s comment about KR not being competitive is true although they’re not a long way behind the competition. I was minded to leave them alone to reduce complexity for her but this may be the push required.

Without POA I can’t talk to KR about the accounts either without travelling over so we can talk to them together.

Thanks to all for your helpful comments.

SacredStephan

Have you asked KR about "third party access" to these savings accounts? This would be appropriate where the account holder still has capacity but needs a trusted person to operate the account.

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131576#Comment_82131576

That’s pretty much the discussion we had with their customer service guy. He basically said that we couldn’t do that online.

It’s tricky really because the only reason she wants me to manage the accounts is that KR are moving them online and won’t let her manage them by phone.

I think there’s a serious point here about potential disenfranchisement of elderly customers. Some either can’t or won’t manage accounts online so it makes no sense to make it difficult or impossible for relatives or attorneys to do so for them.

I checked YBS as I have one account with them and they seem easier to deal with. You can’t set a POA account up online but once it’s set up you can manage it online.

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82131675#Comment_82131675

I can’t see the image in your post for some reason but I found it in Section 18.2 of their Savings Account Conditions (February 2026) which is supposed to apply to all the accounts they’re moving online.

“If you wish to register a third party on your Account, please visit our Website for further information on how you can do this.

PLEASE NOTE – We will need to check/verify the identity of any third party and they can’t access or operate your Account via our Online Services.”

Source: https://www.kentreliance.co.uk/media/5hzgesxr/savings-account-conditions-18-feb-2026.pdf

That seems to directly contradict what you found elsewhere. I feel a complaint email detailing this might be the way to go. Their call centre staff are well meaning but have told me the same thing twice so escalating might get a result.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Hi @[Deleted User]

Yes, I think we’re looking at the same things but the newest version of the terms and conditions I can find is the Feb 26 version. That’s the one they show on their guidance page relating to those accounts being moved. It contains that contradictory statement above and it’s right below the summary of changes you link to above.

I think the Feb 26 t’s and c’s are the most up to date but the only way to find out is to call them, which I’ll try next.