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Power of Attorney

Caring for someone vulnerable

Power of Attorney

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What is a Power of Attorney? Open in new window

What can an Attorney do? Open in new window

Frequently asked questions Open in new window

Power of Attorneys can be set up on a temporary basis (for instance if you are in hospital) or in the longer term (perhaps if you become ill and can no longer make decisions).

What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney (POA) gives legal power to one or more persons to allow them to make decisions on behalf of a person who is no longer capable of making decisions for themself, or does not want to make decisions for themself. The people given this permission are called 'attorneys' and the person giving permission is called a 'donor'. Usually, attorneys are someone close to the donor such as a family member or a close friend, but people acting in a professional capacity such as solicitors or local authorities can also be made attorneys.

To learn more about Power of Attorney visit the Age NI page using the button below.

Learn more Open in new window

Types of Power of Attorney

Depending on what you need and where you live, there are different types of Power of Attorney you should think about. Details on these different types are shown below.

General Power of Attorney

This type of Power of Attorney gives someone the authority to manage your property and financial affairs for a specific period of time, such as when you are travelling abroad or unable to manage your affairs for a short while.

Enduring Power of Attorney

This type of Power of Attorney allows someone to continue managing your property and financial affairs even if you lose the capacity to do so yourself, such as due to illness or injury.

Can I register a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for account held in Northern Ireland?

We're unable to accept Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) documents for accounts held in Northern Ireland. This is because LPA's are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and accounts in Northern Ireland require a Power of Attorney that has been drawn up under Northern Ireland laws.

What can an Attorney do?

If the donor lacks capacity the Attorney can operate the account as if they were the account holder themselves. Donors can choose to have more than one Attorney on their account but they must make it clear whether the Attorneys will act 'jointly' or 'joint and severally'.

An attorney can

Have a debit card, register for online or telephone banking, and make payments and transfers as long as they are acting solely, or "jointly and severally" in the case of multiple attorneys.
Close accounts that are no longer needed.
Open new accounts on behalf of the donor depending on the type of POA document held, and this needs to be done in a branch.
Manage the donor's mortgage, including applying for a new mortgage or changing the rates.
Order a cheque book for the donor's account as long as they are "acting in a professional capacity", or "jointly" in the case of multiple attorneys.

Information Message

An attorney cannot

Have access to online or telephone banking or have a debit card if several attorneys are acting "Jointly".
Apply for certain forms of borrowing, for example loans or overdrafts on behalf of the account holder.
Act outside the terms set out by the account holder in the Power of Attorney document.
Change ownership of the account or add new parties to the account.

Information Message

Registering a Power of Attorney

Before you apply online you need to know...

When submitting the online form:

Step 1: Complete the application to add a Power of Attorney to an Account eForm

Step 2: Email us your documents

Please email your Power of Attorney document to us at powerofattorney@natwest.com

Please note, General Power of Attorney documents cannot be accepted online.

Please include the donor's sort code and account number in the subject line.

If this isn't included, then we won't be able to action your request.

Additional documents

If attorneys are appointed to act jointly or acting in a professional capacity, we will need you to email us a picture of all attorney signatures.
If the donors holds a joint account, we will require a singed letter from the joint account holder confirming they are happy for you to be added to their account. You can email this to us. If you hold POA for both parties, then signed authority is not required. You must register POA for both parties separately.

Images sent in must be 10 MB or less to fit into the maximum size od email and documents need to be saved in the PDF file format.

Step 3: Confirm your identity

Once we've received your eForm and Power of Attorney document, you will receive an email from our trusted partner, Mitek.

To verify your identity, you will be asked to:

Capture a selfie using a device with a camera
Upload a valid form of photo identification
Provide proof of address if requested.

Learn more about our security partner, Mitek.

Once your identity has been successfully verified and we've received all your documentation, we will proceed with processing your Power of Attorney application.

Proof of identity we can accept through our online process:

A valid passport
EU and EEA National Identity Card
Benefits entitlement letter issued within the last 12 months
HMRC Tax notifications and correspondence
UK/EU/EAA Photocard licence
Travel documents issued by the UK government
Northern Ireland voters card
Armed forces/military ID card

For more information on acceptable forms of identification please look at our caring for someone vulnerable page.

Proof of address we can accept through our online process:

UK/EU/EAA Photocard licence
Council tax bill/demand letter/exemption certificate issued within 12 months
Bank/Building Society statement
Benefits entitlement letter issued within the last 12 months
Credit union statement
HMRC Tax notifications and correspondence
UK utility bill (gas, electricity, water, telephone landline)
UK/EU/EEA Mortgage statement / Mortgage correspondence
Tenancy agreement from local council or housing association issued within 12 months

For more information on proof of address that we can accept please look at our caring for someone vulnerable page.

Can I register a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for an account held in Northen Ireland?

We're unable to accept Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) documents for accounts held in Northen Ireland. This is because LPA's are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and accounts in Northen Ireland require a power of Attorney that has been drawn up under Northen Ireland law.

How to apply online

Registering a Power of Attorney in a branch

To complete this process in a branch we need you to bring the original POA document registered with the Office of Public Guardian or alternatively your unique LPA code. You'll also have to bring an acceptable form of identification and proof of address.

Before you apply in a branch you need to know...

When registering in a branch:

There is no need to book an appointment and you can come along to any of our branches at a time that works best for you. The account holder (donor) does not need to be there, and the registration can be completed as long as you have the correct documents with you.

The proof of identity we can accept are:

A valid passport
EU and EEA National Identity Card
Benefits entitlement letter issued within the last 12 months
HMRC Tax notifications and correspondence
UK/EU/EAA driving licence
Travel documents issued by the UK government
Northern Ireland voters card
Armed forces/military ID card

For more information on acceptable forms of identification please look at our caring for someone vulnerable page.

The proof of address we can accept are:

UK/EU/EAA driving licence
Council tax bill/demand letter/exemption certificate issued within 12 months
Bank/Building Society statement
Benefits entitlement letter issued within the last 12 months
Credit union statement
HMRC Tax notifications and correspondence
UK utility bill (gas, electricity, water, telephone landline)
UK/EU/EEA Mortgage statement / Mortgage correspondence
Tenancy agreement from local council or housing association issued within 12 months

For more information on proof of address that we can accept please look at our caring for someone vulnerable page.

Find a branch near you

Use the button below to open our branch locator tool in a new tab. This can help you find a branch close to you for POA registration or any other everyday banking activities.

Branch locator Open in new window

Registering a Power of Attorney whilst living abroad

If you are a non-UK resident living overseas and have a valid UK Power of Attorney you can register this with us. To do this you need to complete the Add Power of Attorney to an Account (PDF, 105 KB) form and send it to the address below:

NatWest
1 Hardman Boulevard
Manchester
M3 3AQ
United Kingdom

For overseas registrations, it can take up to six weeks once we've received your documents for a POA to be added onto an account. Additional checks may also be required before your registration is completed.

Before completing the form you need to know...

What documents do you need for the form?

Please include certified copies of:

Your full POA document
Proof of identity (A valid passport)
Proof of address

All three copies must be certified by a bank or solicitor in the country you are living in. Each document will need to be individually certified and include details of the certifier, full name, job role, address, contact number, and email address. POA documents must be drawn up in accordance with UK law. Some POA documents also contain certificates which we will need to see, so please make sure to include all parts of the document.

If your documents are not in English, we ask that you also send us your written consent to share them with our 3rd party provider 'The Big Word' who will translate your documents.

The proof of identity we can accept is:

A valid passport which must be in date and personal details must match the application form. We do not accept temporary passports.

The proof of address we can accept are:

A Bank Statement (must be dated within the last 6 months, personal details must match the application form)
A Utility Bill (this must be dated within the last 6 months, personal details must match the application form)

We cannot accept:

Mobile phone bill/ Mobile Internet data bill
TV Licence
A delivery bill for oil, coal, logs etc.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for an attorney to be added to an account?

A Power of Attorney will be added within 5-10 working days once we have received your documents.

For overseas POA registrations, it can take up to six weeks for an attorney to be added onto an account once we have received your documents.

Additional checks may be required for some Power of Attorney applications which can lengthen timescales.

Once I am added to an account as an attorney, how do I register for online banking?

Once you are added as an attorney you will receive your customer number and you can use this to register for online access to the donor's accounts. For more information check out our guide to online banking. You can find out how to register and make the most of the services available.

What happens to a Power of Attorney if the account holder has passed away?

A Power of Attorney will no longer apply on sole accounts once the account holder has passed away. The executor of the will, will look after the account holder's estate.

For joint accounts, the Power of Attorney would remain in place. However, as Power of Attorney is held for named individuals, it would only remain in place if the donor was the surviving party.

Can I be added as an attorney to a joint account?

Yes, you can be added as an attorney to a joint account. However, you will need to get written permission from the other joint account holder, unless you hold POA for both account holders.

Can a Power of Attorney open an account on behalf of the donor?

Yes, as a Power of Attorney it's possible to open an account on behalf of the donor. You can't apply online, you'd need to visit your local branch so they can help set this up. Remember to take along your Power of Attorney document.

If the donor is an existing customer and you have already registered the POA document with us, you can call our customer services team on 0800 092 4238 who can help you open an additional account.

How can I remove a Power of Attorney from my account?

To have a Power of Attorney removed from an account, you would need to send us a signed letter with details of the request. The Doner can request the removal of an Attorney from their account, if they still have mental capacity. This also needs a signed letter to be sent in.

The POA document will remain valid and could still be used by an Attorney, so to avoid this, we recommend that you revoke this with the Office of Public Guardian.

What happens to a travel account when an attorney is added to the linked current account?

If a travel account is linked to a current account held by a donor it will be closed when the attorney is added, and and EUR funds will be moved back to the current account.

Funds returned to the current account will be based on the live bank exchange rate.

Can more then one person be an attorney on a Power of Attorney (POA)?

Yes, sometimes more then one person is chosen to help as attorneys.

If you're one of those attorneys, here's what you need to do:

Each person needs to fill in and send us their own POA registration form.
If the POA document says you must act jointly (which means you all make decisions together), we'll need everyone's registration before we can go ahead anything.

Additional support

If something in your life has changed like your money situation or your health you might need a little more support with your banking. Visit our Banking My Way page where you can tell us what's going on, and we'll find ways to make things easier for you.
If you're looking after someone who needs extra support, there's help out there for you too. We've listed some organisations below tha offer advice, tools and support to make things a bit easier.

NHS Social care and support guide Open in new window

Government services and benefits for carers Open in new window

Citizens Advice Open in new window

Carers NI information and support Open in new window

Money Helper information and support Open in new window

Age NI help for carers Open in new window