Power of Attorney

Help and guidance

What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows a person or persons (attorney / attorneys) the power to act on the behalf of another person (the donor) in relation to their personal welfare and /or property and financial affairs.

As a financial institution we only require a property and financial affairs document which authorises an attorney(s) to manage the donor's finances and property.

Why do I need a Power of Attorney?

Some of the reasons for obtaining Power of Attorney are:

Illness or disability
Living abroad

There are different types of Power of Attorney documents. We recommend that you seek advice on which type of Power of Attorney is most suitable for you.

Yorkshire Building Society only accepts English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish Power of Attorney documents.

Further information

More information can be found on the websites below.

Office of the the Public Guardian (England and Wales)

Office of the the Public Guardian (Scotland)

NI Direct, Government services (Northern Ireland)

You can also obtain further information regarding Powers of Attorney by contacting the Office of the Public Guardian on 0300 456 0300*.

Call our specialist team

If you would like to talk to us about Power of Attorney, you can call our specialist team, between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

01274 353 501, option 1, option 2. *

Write to us

Please send documents to:

Customer Service Centre
Yorkshire Building Society
Yorkshire House
Yorkshire Drive
Bradford
BD5 8LJ

Visit your nearest Branch

If you would prefer to speak to someone in person please call into any of our branches.

Find your nearest branch.

Glossary

Attorney/Deputy

A person who has been appointed to carry out decisions for another person.

Beneficial Owner

The Beneficial Owner is a person who cannot manage their own affairs.

Certified Copies

These are copy documents which have been checked and verified as being the same as the original by one of the following: bank/building society employees, solicitors, accountants, commissioner for oaths, independent financial advisers or the Post Office.

Deed of Disclaimer

This is required when an individual no longer wishes to act as an Attorney. This deed needs to be sent to the Office of the Public Guardian for registration before it can be used.

Deed of Revocation

This is used in England and Wales when you want to end the rights you have given under a Power of Attorney. It needs to be sent to the Office of the Public Guardian for registration before it can be used. See https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/end for more information.

Donor

The Donor is the person who lets someone else (the Attorney) make decisions for them.

HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs)

The UK Government department for the administration and collection of taxes.

ISA (Individual Savings Account)

A tax-efficient cash savings account.

Order

The Court of Protection document.

Power of Attorney

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows the Attorney to make decisions or carry out transactions for another person. There are three main types in England and Wales:

Lasting Power of Attorney – There are two different Lasting Powers of Attorney, one which relates to health and welfare and one for property and financial affairs. It would be one relating to property and financial affairs that you would register with us. They need to be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian.
General Power of Attorney – These do not need to be registered at the Office of Public Guardian, however if you lose mental capacity they will no longer be valid. They are often used to give rights for a specific event, for example if you need someone to be able to make decisions for you temporarily when you go on holiday.
Enduring Power of Attorney – Enduring Powers of Attorney are only valid if they were signed and written before 1 October 2007. You can use them even if they haven’t been registered at the Office of the Public Guardian provided that you still have mental capacity. If you start to lose mental capacity the Power of Attorney will need to be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian.