Third party access relates to different ways of giving another person access to your bank account and the right to operate it.
Choosing third party access |
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| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances | Third Party Mandate | Ordinary power of attorney | Lasting power of attorney | Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
Court of Protection order | Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
You need help with account management for administrative convenience |
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You are going abroad and won't have access to accounts |
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You are physically ill, injured or disabled |
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You are preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable |
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You have lost mental capacity |
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if prepared before losing capacity |
if prepared before losing capacity |
if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted |
if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted |
Choosing third party access |
Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
|---|---|
Choosing third party access |
You need help with account management for administrative convenience |
Choosing third party access |
You are going abroad and won't have access to accounts |
Choosing third party access |
You are physically ill, injured or disabled |
Choosing third party access |
You are preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable |
Choosing third party access |
You have lost mental capacity |
Emergency Contact
If you're an HSBC UK customer, you can provide us with an Emergency Contact. This is an HSBC Group-specific request which tells us that you’d like us to speak with someone you trust if you’re unwell and unable to communicate.
When might you choose this option?
You may choose this option if you’re unwell and haven’t yet agreed a Power of Attorney, or if you want the comfort of knowing we have contact information for your family or friends in cases of emergency.
Key features for you
We’ll use information provided by your emergency contact to confirm your mental and physical wellbeing when you’re unable to.
We may call your emergency contact if appropriate, in the event of an emergency while you are in one of our branches; such as a fall or an accident.
Your emergency contact can also call us to tell us if you’re unwell and if you can’t communicate with us. We may use this information to tailor the way we communicate with you and manage your accounts while you’re unavailable, such as temporarily suspending repeat letters or calls.
Your emergency contact won’t have any access to your accounts and they won’t have authority to make decisions on your behalf. If you require help with your accounts, please see our list of the different types of Third Party authorities below.
How to apply
You can provide us with your emergency contact details either in one of our HSBC UK branches, or by calling our Telephone Banking team.
Don’t forget to notify your emergency contact of their responsibility and if their contact details change, please let us know.
You have rights regarding your information, including being able to see what we hold about you. For more information please see our full Privacy Notice which can be found by visiting www.hsbc.co.uk/privacy-notice.
Third Party Mandate
If you're an HSBC customer, you can complete a third party mandate. This is an HSBC-specific document which tells us that you'd like to give another person access to your bank account and the right to operate it.
When might you choose this option?
If you needed help managing your accounts for convenience, for example if you were recovering from an operation and wanted someone to pay your bills or if you were going abroad and wouldn't have access to your accounts.
Ordinary Power of Attorney
Anyone can write an Ordinary Power of Attorney (also known as General Power of Attorney). Unlike a third party mandate, an Ordinary Power of Attorney can give someone access to accounts you hold with different financial institutions as well as to your HSBC accounts.
When might you choose this option?
If you needed help managing your accounts for convenience, for example if you were recovering from an operation and wanted someone to pay your bills or if you were going abroad and wouldn't have access to your accounts.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A registered Lasting Power of Attorney can give someone control of your financial affairs while you retain capacity and remains valid if you lose mental capacity.
As of 1 October 2007, Lasting Powers of Attorney replaced Enduring Powers of Attorney.
When might you choose this option?
If you needed help managing your accounts for convenience, for example if you were recovering from an operation and wanted someone to pay your bills or if you were going abroad and wouldn't have access to your accounts.
You might also choose this option if you're preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable and you'd like your child, partner or someone you know to make decisions on your behalf, or if you've lost mental capacity (if the third party access has been prepared beforehand).
Enduring Powers of Attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney is similar to a Lasting Power of Attorney, but will need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian if you lose mental capacity.
Only valid if granted prior to 1 October 2007.
When might you choose this option?
If you needed help managing your accounts for convenience, for example if you were recovering from an operation and wanted someone to pay your bills or if you were going abroad and wouldn't have access to your accounts.
You might also choose this option if you're preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable and you'd like your child, partner or someone you know to make decisions on your behalf, or if you've lost mental capacity (if the third party access has been prepared beforehand).
Court of Protection Orders and Deputyships
You could apply for a Court of Protection Order to be appointed as a deputy for someone who has lost capacity.
When might you choose this option?
You might consider this if you have lost mental capacity (if an Enduring Power of Attorney or Lasting Power of Attorney has not already been granted), or if you believe you need the authority to make financial decisions for an individual.
Department for Work and Pensions
If you know someone who needs help claiming and managing their benefits because they have a severe disability or lack mental capacity, you could become an appointee of the Department of Work and Pensions.
When might you choose this option?
You might consider this if you have lost mental capacity (if an Enduring Power of Attorney or Lasting Power of Attorney has not already been granted), or if you feel you could be responsible for making an individual's claims and managing spending.
Independence Service
We know that even when it becomes difficult to manage your finances, it can be hard to give up all control of your finances and rely completely on someone else. We can help by offering our Independence Service.
This service enables you to maintain a level of financial independence to go about day to day tasks such as food shopping and paying bills, but you and your legal third party can have peace of mind as they will retain control of your financial arrangements with us.
Eligibility
- 18 years of age or over
- Legal third party (for example Power of Attorney or Court of Protection Order) supporting you with your finances
Key features for you
- This is an account that gives you access to a visa debit card to use in places such as shops and restaurants, as well as being able to use it to withdraw cash at ATMs
- You’ll have peace of mind that all your other accounts with us are still being looked after by your legal third party
Key features for your third party
- They’ll still have access to all of your accounts that they have authority over*
- They’ll be able to access these accounts through telephone banking, online banking or by visiting one of our branches*
- They’re responsible for ensuring the appropriate level of funds are available in your account linked to the Independence Service*
*restrictions may apply
How to apply
Once a legal third party has been appointed, your local branch can be contacted to arrange an appointment for the service to be set up.
Independence Service FAQs
Please note, in some circumstances you may have the option of using several different types of third party access. The Lasting Power of Attorney and Enduring Power of Attorney in particular may apply in various situations. You need to choose the most suitable option based on your circumstances and goals.
The information relating to third party access on this website is only intended to provide you with a general guide to the options available to you and does not constitute legal advice. We suggest that you seek legal advice before you decide which type of third party access is right for your individual circumstances.
