What you will need to do

1

Please read and complete our Power of Attorney/Court Appointee form. 

Before completing the Power of Attorney/Court Appointee form, you should ensure you have read our information on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You will need to sign the relevant box to confirm this (savings only).

We accept the LPA online access code for Lasting Power of Attorneys.

If you registered the Lasting Power of Attorney on or after 17th July 2020, the letter you received from the OPG (Office of the Public Guardian) telling you the LPA had been registered included an activation key. To get your LPA access code visit https://gov.uk/use-lasting-power-of-attorney . If the LPA was registered on or after 1 January 2016, you can use this service to ask for a new or replacement activation key.

The LPA access code can be provided on the Power of Attorney/Court Appointee form and this will allow us to view the LPA digitally. Please note that an LPA access code will only be valid for 30 days after being issued. The Attorney(s) need to read and complete the form. 

Correspondence will be sent to the Attorney once the Power of Attorney has been registered (savings only). Where there is more than one Attorney registered, the first Attorney will receive correspondence. 

2

Take the Power of Attorney/Court Appointee form to your local branch with the Power of Attorney document. If it is not convenient for you to visit a branch you can post documents to the address below:

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

What will happen next?

All Power of Attorney registrations are processed at our Bradford Office. On receipt of your documents they will be reviewed and we will use our electronic verification system to verify the Attorney(s). If this is successful, that’s all we need to do. However in certain cases (for example you are not listed on the electoral roll or you have recently moved address) we may need additional proof of identity (see – 'Proof of Identity' below) and if we do we'll let you know.

Once all the correct documentation has been received, we will notify you in writing to confirm the registration has been completed.

Online access (optional)

Once Power of Attorney has been registered, you may be eligible to register the account for online access. You can register online here or call 0345 1200 805*.

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.

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.

Proof of identity

Required identification

If you’re applying in person at a branch or agency we’ll need to see one proof of name document and one proof of address document and these must be the original documents

If you’re applying by post we will need to see a third ID document from either box on the next page. If you’re posting documents which have a photo or signature on them please send copies and not the originals.

Please see acceptable ID list below. Please note that originals or copies are acceptable. You shouldn’t send valuable documents through the post so please provide copies instead. Your local branch can take copies of your documents and send them to us on your behalf free of charge. All original documents will be returned to you as soon as possible.

  • Current signed passport (UK or foreign)
  • Current EU or UK photo card driving licence (full/provisional) or full UK driving licence (old style)
  • Current residence permit issued by the Home Office to EU National
  • Current EU member state ID card
  • Current British armed forces ID card
  • HMRC (Inland Revenue) coding/assessment /statement/tax credit letter (which must state your National Insurance number), issued in the last 12 months (Not a P45 or P60)
  • Letter from Department for Works and Pension (DWP), Pension Service, Job Centre Plus or local authority confirming right to benefits issued in the last 12 months
  • Current signed employer’s photo ID card
  • Current UK firearms certificate
  • Current Foreign National ID card
  • Current UK disabled person’s blue badge
  • HMRC (Inland Revenue) coding/assessment/statement/tax credit letter (which must state your National Insurance number) issued in the last 12 months (Not a P45 or P60)
  • Letter from UK bank/building society issued in the last 3 months and confirming full details for an active account
  • Letter from commanding officer or military unit issued in the last 3 months and confirming residency in service quarters
  • Letter from UK college/university issued in the last 3 months and confirming in-house residency and dates
  • Letter from UK employer issued in the last 3 months and confirming residency in hospital accommodation (medical doctors only)
  • Correspondence from local authority over tenancy/local authority tenancy agreement, issued in the last 12 months
  • Current EU or UK (full/provisional) photo card driving licence or full UK driving licence (old style)
  • UK Credit Union statement issued in the last 3 months
  • UK utility bill/prepayment agreement issued in the last 3 months showing current address (Not mobile phone bill)
  • UK bank/building society statement issued in the last 12 months and showing current address
  • UK Credit card statement issued in the last 3 months and showing current address
  • UK Mortgage statement issued in the last 12 months (most recent) from a recognised lender
  • Letter from Department for Works and Pension (DWP), Pension Service, Job Centre Plus or local authority confirming right to benefits issued in the last 12 months
  • Current post office re-direction letter
  • Council Tax bill issued in the last 12 months
  • Letter from solicitor issued in the last 3 months and confirming house purchase
  • Letter from HMRC (Inland Revenue) issued in the last 3 months confirming National Insurance number which must include name and address

Important information

Proof of Identity Exceptions

There are certain exceptions that we can make for these types of accounts. They are:

  1. If the donor has only recently moved into a care home, ID at their previous address can be accepted providing that this address matches that on the Power of Attorney.
  2. ID can be taken for the donor that shows the attorney/ies or deputy/ies address however it must stipulate that it is for the donor.

Certifying the Power of Attorney document

The donor can confirm a copy of the document is genuine providing they’re still able to make their own decisions.

If the donor has lost mental capacity then they would not be able to certify the document.

Your local branch can take copies of your documents and send them to us on your behalf free of charge. If this isn’t convenient for you we also accept copies that have been certified by a bank/building society employee, solicitor, accountant, commissioner for oaths or an independent financial adviser.

We are unable to accept documents which have been certified by a family member or a named attorney. The person certifying the documents may charge a fee; please check with them first.

The following information must be provided on the first page of all documents if it is a certified copy:

  • The words “certified true copy” must be written or stamped
  • Full name, date and signature of the donor
  • Where there are multiple pages they should include the statement ‘I certify that pages 1- [insert total number] are a certified true copy.’
  • All subsequent pages must also be signed by the donor. Documents certified in full on every page will also be accepted.

If any of these details are missing we may be unable to accept the document.

The following information must be provided on the first page of all documents if it is a certified copy:

  • The words “certified true copy” must be written or stamped
  • Full name, date and signature by the person who is certifying them
  • Profession
  • Business name, address and telephone number
  • FCA number (financial advisers only)
  • Where there are multiple pages they should include the statement ‘I certify that pages 1- [insert total number] are a certified true copy.’
  • All subsequent pages must also be signed by the person certifying your documents. Documents certified in full on every page will also be accepted.

If any of these details are missing we may be unable to accept the document.

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 (His 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.