Have someone to rely on

There may be circumstances – either now or in the future – where you’ll need a bit of help with managing your money. Planning for the future can be difficult, especially when we don’t know what’s around the corner. But making sure you have the right support in place in case you’re not able to manage your money yourself could prevent lengthy – and often difficult – situations.

Hopefully, you’ll never need to ask someone to help you manage your money. But in case life takes an unexpected turn, we’re here to help you feel in control. 

Here we explain the options available to you, the circumstances for which each is suitable, and how to set them up.

This authority allows us to provide information only to a nominated person or company, it does not allow us to accept any instructions to make any changes to your account/s.

For this type of authority there are no ID documents are required for this level of access.

2. Information & Payments

(Standard Related Party)

This type of authority allows us to provide information only to a nominated person or company, they have the ability to make a payment on behalf of the account holder. It does not allow us to accept any instructions to make any changes to your account/s but they can make changes to their own details such as address and contact telephone number.

For this type of access, we’ll need a proof of identity for the person you would like to give access to and proof of their address. More information of the types of proof we will accept is available in our register section

A power of attorney (PoA) is a legal document that gives someone the authority to make decisions about property and finances on someone else’s behalf. In some cases, what the attorney can and can’t do will depend on your ability to make decisions about your finances.

You must be mentally capable to give your authority to trusted individuals as attorneys.

There are different types of PoA, which we’ve explained in more detail. For us to accept your delegation, it needs to be a PoA that relates to property and financial affairs.

Lasting power of attorney

This type of PoA is completed through the Office of the Public Guardian. Once it’s in place, you can use it both when you’re mentally capable and incapable if

• You want someone you trust to have access to your money
• You need long-term help managing your finances
• You want to specify which accounts your attorney has access to and how they access them
• You’re moving abroad or going travelling for more than a year
• You’re going to university
• You’re going into hospital

You can add instructions and preferences to the document, including when you’d like attorneys to be able to act and how they’ll do so.

General power of attorney

This type of PoA is only valid if you’re mentally capable and

• You want someone you trust to have access to your money
• You need short-term help managing your finances or during periods of illness, or if you have recurring mental health problems
• You want to specify which accounts your attorney has access to and how they access them
• You’re going abroad for up to a year
• You’re going to university
• You’re going into hospital

Enduring power of attorney

This type of PoA was in place before 1 October 2007 but has since been replaced by a lasting power of attorney. If you have one in place, you can still use it, in the same way as a lasting power of attorney.  

If you lose your mental capacity, the enduring power of attorney document must be registered with the Office of Public Guardian

Scottish power of attorney

If you live in Scotland, there’s a Scottish Office of the Public Guardian that offers

• Continuing power of attorney, which provides attorneys with the authority to deal with finances and property
• Welfare power of attorney, which provides attorneys with the power to make decisions around health or personal welfare matters – this can’t be used with a financial institution
• Combined power of attorney, which gives attorneys both continuing and welfare rights

Can I have more than one attorney?

Yes, though it’s important to consider whether you’d like them to act ‘jointly’ or ‘jointly and severally.’ This will affect how they manage your account.

Jointly – all attorneys will need to be present to carry out a transaction and they won’t be able to manage your account in Telephone Banking or Online Banking, or have a debit card for your account. 

Jointly and severally – attorneys can act independently, or together. They’ll be able to manage your account in Telephone and Online Banking, and have a debit card for your account.

Prepare your documents

If you’ve been legally authorised to access someone’s account, We’ll need to see the full original or certified legal document, not just the summary page. This can be several pages long, so please make sure you send a full version of the document.

For new lasting powers of attorney registered after July 2020, we can accept your access code once you’ve created an account with gov.uk. Codes last 30 days, so make sure it hasn’t expired before you send it to us. However, if the person has specified any preferences and instructions, we’ll need to ask you for the full paper legal document

For this type of access, we need a proof of identity for the person you would like to give access to and proof of their address. More information of the types of proof we will accept is avaiilable here. Gov.uk has more information on how to certify documents. 

The Court of Protection is the authority that deals with making decisions on financial or welfare matters for people who, due to mental incapacity, can no longer make those decisions themselves. It’s the proposed ‘deputy’ that applies to the court, rather than the person needing the help.

When could I consider a Court of Protection order?

A Court of Protection order is an option if the person needing help has lost mental capacity and they don’t have a PoA, or anyone else to manage their finances. There are several reasons people may lack mental capacity, for example

• They’ve had a serious brain injury or illness
• They have dementia
• They have severe learning disabilities

Deputies are authorised by the Court of Protection to make decisions on behalf of the person needing help.

The application can be a lengthy process for deputies trying to gain access. The courts will need to make sure they’re safeguarding those people who can no longer manage or look after their own affairs. While this is in progress, we can still pay essential bills from the person’s account, as long as those bills are in their name.

Once the deputy is appointed they can

• Manage an account over the phone with our Customer Service Team (as long as they've been appointed to act jointly and severally)
• Have statements sent to their address
• Update address details
• Add, remove and cancel Direct Debits
• Make payments on the account
• Open and close accounts

Prepare your documents

If you’ve been legally authorised to access someone’s account with a Court of Protection Order, we’ll need to see the following documents:

• The full original, or a full certified copy of, the Court of Protection Order – please note this document can be several pages long so include the full version of the document not just a summary page
• Your passport, UK driving licence or EU national ID card
• A utility bill (not a mobile phone bill) or bank/building society statement that shows your current address. This bill must be no more than three months old and an original document, not a photocopy

The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 allows the court to appoint a trusted person to be the guardian of a missing person’s property and financial affairs. The court does this by making a Guardianship (Missing Persons) Order (GMPO).

How do I apply for a GMPO?

You’ll need to apply to the Chancery Division or the Family Division of the High Court 

• To submit a new GMPO application
• To change or revoke an existing GMPO
• For any other applications relating to GMPOs

You can learn more about each of these divisions and to see which one suits your particular circumstances at the links below:

Chancery Division

Family Division

What can a guardian do?

Subject to terms listed in the order, once appointed, a guardian can manage the missing person’s property and financial affairs, which includes:

• Manage an account over the phone with our customer Service Team (as long as they’ve been appointed to act jointly and severally)
• Have statements sent to their address
• Update address details
• Add, remove and cancel Direct Debits
• Make payments on the account
• Open and close accounts

If guardians are appointed to act jointly, they must make decisions together unanimously.

Prepare your documents

If you’ve been legally authorised to access someone’s account, we’ll need to see the following documents:

• The full original, or a full certified copy of, the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Order – please note this document can be several pages long so include the full version of the document not just a summary page
• Your passport, UK driving licence or EU national ID card
• A utility bill (not a mobile phone bill) or bank/building society statement that shows your current address. This bill must be no more than three months old and an original document, not a photocopy

More information about the types of identity and proof of address we accept, please visit our register section. Gov.uk has more information on how to certify documents.

Once your authority is in place, you’ll need provide us with the documents we need. 

Information Only

If you’re registering to provide someone with information, we’ll need a copy of the Disclosure of authority form to be completed and sent to:

Barclays Partner Finance, PO Box 2501, Cardiff, CF23 0FP

Information and Payments, Power of attorney, Court of Protection & Missing Persons Order (Guardianship)

If you’re registering Information and Payments, Power of attorney, Court of Protection or Missing Persons Order, we’ll need a copy of the Power of Attorney DAF form, the full original or certified legal document, not just the sumary page, proof of identity and address to be completed and sent to:

Barclays Partner Finance, PO Box 2501, Cardiff, CF23 0FP

If you would like more information about adding a third party access to your account, please contact Customer Services on  0800 15 22 888 *.

What happens next?

Once we receive everything we need, we’ll aim to set up your access within seven working days. If we need anything else from you, we’ll get in touch by phone.

When it’s set up, we’ll send you a letter to confirm that access has been granted and we will list everyone who has access to the account.

You’ll need to show us one document to prove your identity, and another document to prove your UK address (you can’t use the same document twice).

What proof of identity do I need?

• Passport – a full and valid UK or foreign passport with a machine readable zone – made up of two rows of letters, numbers and chevron ‘<’ characters, and is on most passports
• Driving licence – the following licence types are fine. A full UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) photocard driving licence, a provisional UK photocard driving licence or a UK paper driving licence (as long as the address is current)
• UK biometric residence permit – a valid residence permit issued in the UK with a machine readable zone

Other documents we can accept as proof of identity

• A benefit entitlement letter less than 12 months old, confirming the benefit you’re receiving at the time of issue
  
• A UK blue disabled driver’s pass (with photo)
• A UK Armed Forces identity card
• An HMRC tax notification dated within 12 months
• A Home Office immigration status document or application registration card
• A valid Northern Ireland voter's card

What proof of UK address do I need?

• Driving licence –A full UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) photocard driving licence, a provisional UK photocard driving licence or a UK paper driving licence (as long as the address is current)
• Bank statement – from another bank, dated within the last three months and showing at least one transaction. This can be from a bank in another country, as long as it shows a UK address

Note – we can’t accept statements from digital banks

• Credit card statement – from a UK credit card company, dated within the past three months
• Utility bill – from a UK gas, electricity or landline phone bill, dated within the past three months

Other documents we can accept as proof of address

• A UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) mortgage statement, as long as it shows a UK address
• A council tax bill, demand letter or exemption certificate, issued within the last 12 months
• A tenancy agreement from a local council or housing association, dated within the last 12 months
• A universal credit benefit statement less than 12 months old*
• A benefit entitlement letter (other than universal credit) less than 12 months old, confirming the benefit payable at the time of issue
• An HMRC tax notification dated within the last 12 months
• A UK credit union statement dated within the last three months