Power of attorney

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

There are different types of PoA, which we’ll explain in detail. If you want to register a PoA with us, it needs to relate to property and financial affairs.

For all types of power of attorney

The donor and attorney must be aged 18 or over

They both need to have mental capacity at the time the PoA is signed

A PoA only lasts as long as the donor is alive

A PoA isn’t like a joint bank account – an attorney can only help manage a donor’s account in the way they want them to. They won’t have any legal claim to any money

Temporary support

General power of attorney (GPA), sometimes known as an ordinary power of attorney, is suitable to give someone the ability to help manage your finances for a short amount of time – for example, if you go to hospital or travel overseas.

You may also want to consider other options to make sure you make the right choice for your circumstances.

Authorised users

Third-party authority

Long-term support

Lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a longer-term solution, if you need help managing your finances on a permanent basis. You can apply for a LPA on the government’s website gov.uk, using paper forms or by seeking independent legal advice.

To be used, you’ll need to register the LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian. We strongly suggest you do this as soon as you’ve done the paperwork to avoid delays or finding errors when you need the LPA. Once you have, you’ll still remain in full control of your money until you’re no longer able – it can be used even if you were to lose mental capacity.

Enduring power of attorney (EPA) was replaced by LPA in 2007. If you have an EPA that was signed before 1 October 2007, you can still use it.

If you lose your mental capacity, the EPA 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, giving attorneys the authority to deal with finances and property
Welfare power of attorney, giving attorneys the power to make decisions about health or personal welfare matters. You can’t use this with a bank or building society
Combined power of attorney, giving attorneys both continuing and welfare rights

As attorneys will be making decisions for you, you should choose people you trust, such as family members, close friends or a professional (such as a solicitor).

When deciding who to appoint, we recommend you read about an attorney’s responsibilities.

You can name more than one attorney to act on your behalf, but you’ll need to decide whether you’d like them to act ‘jointly’ or ‘jointly and severally.’ This will affect how they manage your account – see below for details.

Jointly and severally

Attorneys can choose to act independently or together. They can manage your account in Telephone and Online Banking, and have a debit card for 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 using Telephone Banking or Online Banking, or have a debit card for your account.

If you have more than one attorney, but one decides they can no longer act, becomes bankrupt, mentally incapable or dies, the PoA will no longer be valid.

They can manage a donor’s affairs. This includes

Money and bills
Bank and building society accounts
Property and investments
Pensions and benefits

Attorneys should keep accounts of the donor’s assets, income, spending and outgoings. The Office of the Public Guardian and the Court of Protection (if applicable) can ask to check these records. Those accounts should include copies of bank statements for the period they’ve been acting – we can help with this.

When a donor is setting up the Power of Attorney, they may add restrictions or clauses to the way the attorney can act. For example, a PoA might say that the attorney isn’t allowed to act until the donor has lost mental capacity or that they can only act on a specified account.

It‘s the attorney‘s responsibility to follow any restrictions. We can help with this – call us on 0345 075 7475¹ and choose option 1.

Register with us

Online

You can submit your PoA details and documents online using our form.

If you’ve previously visited us in person and you need to upload your documents, you can use the same form.

Please check the ‘Documents you’ll need’ section on this page before filling out your form. If you have a Health and welfare legal power of attorney (LPA), you won’t need to register these.

If you have foreign probate documents, you’ll need to come and see us or call us on 0345 075 7475¹ and choose option 1. You can use our Location finder to find us near you.

Start form

Come and see us

You may prefer to visit us in person to register your PoA. You can book an appointment with us at a branch or Barclays Local using the links on this screen.

If you don’t already bank with us, you’ll need to bring documents that prove your identity, such as your passport or photocard driving licence.

Only the attorneys need to attend – the donor doesn’t. If there’s more than one attorney, they can register with us separately, at different times and in different places. If they’re acting jointly, we’ll only set up access once they’ve all visited us.

Appointments will last for about an hour.

Find us near you

Book an appointment

Call us for more options

If you are having difficulty using the online form and you are unable to come and see us, you can call us on 0345 075 7475¹ and choose option 1.

We will explain your options to register your authority and what you need to send us.

If you do not already bank with us, you will need identity documents such as a passport or a photocard driving licence.

You will also need a smartphone or tablet to verify your identity. If this is not an option, then you can verify by visiting a branch.

What you’ll need if you’re coming to see us

Proof of identity

If you already bank with us, you can verify your identity in one of our branches or local sites with your debit card and PIN or by using Barclays app ID.

If you don’t bank with us, you can verify your identity using Barclays Verify in our app before you visit.

If you can’t verify your identity using the app and don’t have a debit card with us, you’ll need to bring your proof of identity and address documents with you. You can find a list of acceptable documents on our account opening page. You don't need to open an account to register a power of attorney, but the documents we accept are the same.

Legal documents

You’ll need to have the full original or certified legal document, not just the summary page.

For new lasting powers of attorney, we might be able to accept your access code instead of the full document, if you’ve used the Office of the Public Guardian’s ‘Use LPA’ service.

Codes last 30 days, so make sure your code hasn’t expired.

What happens next

Once we receive everything we need, we’ll aim to set up your access within 10 working days. If we need anything else from you, we’ll email or call you.

When it’s set up, we’ll send you a letter to confirm that you have access, along with anything else you’ve asked for, such as Online and Telephone Banking details or debit cards.

The type of authority you have will affect how you can manage the person’s accounts once you’re registered with us. Depending on whether you have power of attorney, a Court of Protection order or third-party authority, you’ll have access to these features.

Feature	If you’re appointed to act ‘jointly and severally’	If you’re appointed to act ‘jointly’
Debit card
Online Banking
Telephone Banking
Barclays app
Manned counter in branch		All attorneys must be together
Self-service machines in branch
Cheque book (only available if the person has lost mental capacity)		All attorneys must sign together

Using Telephone Banking

If you have a question or need to make a transfer but can’t visit a branch, call our Telephone Banking team on 0345 734 5345² (+44 24 7684 2100¹ if you’re abroad). You’ll need your Telephone Banking membership number and passcode when you call – we’ll have sent you this in a letter when you registered with us.

Logging in to Online Banking

Our handy Banking from home guide explains how to make transfers and manage payments.

The Office of the Public Guardian has a support line that anyone can contact if they have any concerns about an attorney. More details can be found at gov.uk/report-concern-about-attorney-deputy.

Power of attorney

Register with us