Supporting Someone Vulnerable
Want someone else to help with your money? Let’s get it set up.
If you want someone else to help manage your account, we can help you do this while keeping your money secure.
Life events such as serious illness, mental incapacity, or simply planning ahead may mean that you want a relative or friend to help you manage your account. To protect you and your money, there are some steps we need to take before we can deal with them on your behalf.
Ways We Can Help
There are several ways you can give someone permission to deal with us on your behalf.
To keep you safe, our staff team need to be able to verify your identity and check that one of these are in place before we can speak to you about another person’s account. Thank you for your patience and understanding—these measures are here to protect vulnerable members from fraud and financial abuse.
Third Party Access
You can give someone permission to access your account by completing a Third Party form.
How it Works
Once we have a third-party form on file, the person named on it will be able to speak to us and manage the account holder’s account after going through security questions as normal.
Steps Needed
- The account holder and the person they wish to designate as a third party need to come together in person to a branch.
- Both individuals will also need to bring photographic ID such as a passport or driving license.
- Third Party forms are kept on file for up to two years, or a length of time you specify. After this time, we may ask you to complete the form again to ensure nothing has changed.
Power of Attorney
If you can’t come to a branch in person, you’ll need to get legal Power of Attorney.
How it Works
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows someone to make decisions and act on another person’s behalf if that person is no longer able to, or if they no longer want to make their own decisions.
Steps Needed
- You can make and register a power of attorney online at GOV.UK. Some people use a solicitor to help them with this process.
- Once you have the power of attorney, you will need to let us know about it so that we can deal with your attorney on your behalf.
- The person appointed as the attorney can do this by bringing a certified copy with them to our branch, along with two forms of ID, or by emailing these to [email protected]
Calling Us
You can optionally ask someone to help you or to speak on your behalf when calling us.
How it Works
When you call us, you can ask someone else present to help you or ask us to speak to them about something specific. But we need to speak to you as the account holder first.
Steps Needed
- The account holder will need to call us themselves and pass security as normal
- If you wish to hand the phone to someone else at any point in the call, please let us know.
- We may ask you to tell us a bit more about who the person is, your reasons for handing the call over, and what you are authorising them to speak to us about.
- You’ll need to repeat these steps each time you call.
Sources of information & advice
If your situation is more complex or you just need more in-depth information or advice about supporting someone elses’ financial affairs, the following organisations may be able to help.
Age UK
Age UK network includes more than 125 local Age UKs, including in each of London Mutual’s 4 borough. They provide a wide range of services to help people in later life throughout the UK.
Carers UK
Carers UK is here for unpaid carers with expert information, advice and support, and also campaign to make life better for those caring for a family member or someone else close to them.
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice’s website has information for people who want to manage someone else’s affairs. It also has information if you want someone else to manage your affairs for you.