Power of attorney
What is a power of attorney?
It’s a legal document where one person (the donor) gives someone they trust (the attorney) the right to make decisions on their behalf and in their best interests.
There are different types of powers of attorney - lasting power of attorney (LPA), general (or ordinary) power of attorney and enduring power of attorney (EPA). You can find out more from our frequently asked questions.
Benefits of a power of attorney
It's never too early to set up a power of attorney, it can save time and money if you become mentally incapable of managing your own affairs and need someone to look after your affairs. It's important for anyone, regardless of age, who has finances and assets to protect if they become unable to make decisions for themselves.
You’re only able to set up a power of attorney while you still have mental capacity.
If you lose mental capacity and haven’t named someone as an attorney, one of your friends or relatives would have to apply to the Court of Protection (COP). The COP will appoint a deputy to manage your affairs and make decisions on your behalf. This is called a Court of Protection Order. But this can be a long and expensive process.
Follow the steps below to set up and register your lasting power of attorney (LPA) with us
Step 1
Apply for an LPA
You can apply for an LPA online on the Government website, or a solicitor can help you do this. Unfortunately we can't apply for you.
You can appoint one or more attorneys to act on your behalf and you can specify and restrict how they do this.
You can apply for a Health and Welfare LPA and a Property and Financial Affairs LPA - we only accept the Property and Financial Affairs LPA.
There's more information on our frequently asked questions page.
Step 2
Register an LPA with the OPG
The LPA will then need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before your attorney(s) can register it with organisations like us and start making decisions for you. The OPG will charge a registration fee of (currently) around £82. This can take around 10-12 weeks.
The OPG will send you the paper document but they can also arrange for this to be accessed by organisations online. Find out more.
Step 3
Register the LPA with us
We'll ask you and your attorneys for:
- the original or certified copy of the LPA document and/or your digital access code if you have an LPA that is available to view digitally;
- a complete attorney registration form - you can download one here;
- identification for you, the donor, and your attorney(s) if you don’t already have an account with us.
For certification and ID information or if you’re opening a new savings account with us, see our frequently asked questions for a list of what we'll need from you.
If you've set up an LPA online with the OPG, we'll need the valid LPA digital access code so we can view the summary of the document online.
We can accept the LPA digitally, as long as it's been registered in England and Wales. However, in some circumstances we may need to view the physical LPA. We reserve the right to request the original or certified copy of the LPA.
Step 4
How attorneys manage your accounts
How an attorney manages and transacts with your account(s) depends on the terms and conditions of the account(s), and any restrictions there may be in the LPA.
The attorney can carry out transactions:
- at a branch
- by post
- via Telephone Services
- using Online Services.
If your attorney(s) is already a member with us and registered for Telephone and Online Services, they won’t need any extra Security Details. They’ll be able to manage your account over the phone, and view your accounts online on their ‘My Accounts’ page (depending on your accounts' terms and conditions).
Get in touch
Call our specialist team
By post
You can post the attorney registration form to us, along with any other documentation we need:
Coventry Building Society
Oakfield House
PO Box 600
Binley
Coventry
CV3 9YR
In branch
Useful contacts
Office of the Public Guardian
0300 456 0300
Court of Protection
0300 456 4600
Age UK
0800 055 6112
The Age UK website has very detailed guidance and advice if you’re not sure about your next steps.
Want help?
Our help section is bursting with useful information. If you'd rather chat, just give us a call.
Call us on 0800 121 8899
- Mon-Fri 8am-7pm
- Saturday 9am-2pm
- Sunday & Bank holidays Closed
Yesterday, people waited on average
17 seconds for savings enquiries
17 seconds for mortgage enquiries
Want help?
Our help section is bursting with useful information. If you'd rather chat, just give us a call.
Call us on
0800 121 8899
Saturday
Sunday
9am - 2pm
Closed
Closed
Closed
8am - 2pm
Yesterday, people waited on average
19 seconds for savings enquiries
27 seconds for mortgage enquiries
