Help and guidance if you need to support or care for someone close to you.

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to care for and support someone close to you.

Three ways we can help:

1. Help someone bank from home

If someone can't get to a branch, they can still manage their money over the phone or through Internet Banking and our mobile app. Here are ways you can help and instructions you can share with them.

2. Setting up a Power of Attorney

A Power of Attorney gives you the legal authority to deal with third parties such as banks or the local council on behalf of the person you’re trying to help. This is a safe way of allowing you to help someone manage their finances either before or after they lose mental capacity.  

3. Appointing a trusted person

You might have concerns about how you can safely support a family member or friend with managing their finances if they’re self-isolating. Getting third party access means that even if you’re away from the person you can still help them at this difficult time.  

1. Help someone bank from home

By phone

We have a dedicated phone number for customers who are aged 70 and over or who need additional support. 

Where can I find the number?

  • If someone you know is over 70 or needs additional support – ask them to find the letter or email we sent regarding this service.
  • If you’re a nominated trusted person – you can ask in branch for the dedicated phone number.
     

Internet and Mobile Banking

Our online banking services are easy and safe to use from home. It’s possible to view balances and transactions at any time, pay bills and even pay in a cheque by taking a photo through our app.

We keep an eye on every account and warn about scams. But remember, it’s really important not to share password and banking details. Find out how to stay safe from scams on our new scam code page.

How to stay safe from scams

People are using the coronavirus outbreak to try new scams by email, call and text. We’ll never get in touch to ask someone to move money to another account, or for someone’s login details. 

Helping our customers stay digitally connected

If someone you know is struggling to get online then our partnership with We Are Digital might be able to help. 

We understand that staying at home can be a challenge without local help. Our We Are Digital partnership has been created to help our customers learn easy and safe ways they can get what they need online.  

They offer free training and guidance on how to use the internet. Topics include online food shopping, booking a doctor’s appointment, using the NHS website, staying in touch with friends and family through video calls, as well as Internet Banking and more.

If you know someone that could benefit, ask them to contact our We Are Digital Helpline on 0345 222 0333 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Please note: Calls to 03 numbers are charged at no more than local rate.

If they have a hearing impairment, they can get support from a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter and book a session using our Sign Video service. Available on Safari, Chrome or Firefox web browsers.

Remember, we’ll never get in touch to ask someone to move money to another account, for someone’s banking details or to take control of a computer and neither would We Are Digital.

2. Setting up a Power of Attorney

Power of Attorney

There are a number of different Power of Attorney and legal access documents available. It is therefore important to understand what type of access is right for you. In most instances you will need to contact the Office of Public Guardian to create a Power of Attorney and it can take some time for these documents to be issued. 

3. Appointing a trusted person

Third party access

If one of our customers finds it difficult to get to a branch we can set up a trusted person to act on their behalf. This is also known as third party access. This person must be 18 or over. It can be a family member, friend or carer. The trusted person will need to come in to a branch with suitable ID to confirm their identity. This can be a passport or driving licence.

The trusted person needs to ask for a third party mandate arrangement form. The form will need to be completed and signed by the account holder, before it is returned to us.  One of our branch colleagues will then phone the account holder to confirm they are happy for the third party access to go ahead.

Alternatively this can also be arranged over the phone with the help of one of our specially trained colleagues, call us on 0345 300 0051. Please be aware of scams and only give third party access to trusted people.

  • If someone you know can’t get to the branch but needs to make a bill payment or small cash withdrawal you can help them. Just come in and talk to our branch colleagues about how we can put this in place. We will need suitable ID from you so we can confirm who you are - such as passport or photo driving licence. The branch will then phone the account holder to make sure they know you and agree that you can act on the account holder’s behalf. We will need a valid phone number for the account holder on record to do this.

  • The safest way to bank with us right now is from home. If you do need to visit us in branch, most are open 9.30am to 2pm Monday to Friday. We've taken the decision not to open branches at weekends. Please check our branch locator if you need to visit.

    To protect you and our staff, we’ve put social distancing measures in place in our branches so you can bank with us safely. You'll also be asked to wear a face covering. When you visit, we may ask you to wait outside if it’s busy and things may take a little more time to complete, but we’ll help you as quickly as we can, so please bear with us. 

    You can also do your everyday banking at your local Post Office. You can check your balance, make withdrawals and pay cash or cheques into your current account at Post Office counters. Make sure you check their website for up-to-date information about opening hours.

    Can we save you a trip? Managing your money from home is the safest way right now, and there’s so much you can do online: 

Trusted Person Card

If a customer finds it difficult to get out, they can apply for a Trusted Person Card over the phone. This allows the customer to give the trusted person a debit card and PIN, which is linked to the customer’s personal current account. The trusted person can then use the card to help the customer with their shopping or to take money out from a cash machine. 

To protect the customer, the card has a weekly spending limit of £100 and a weekly cash withdrawal limit of £100.

For further information about the Trusted Person Card please click here.

Supporting customers in exceptional circumstances

We appreciate that there will be times where you need to support a family member with their finances but do not have any Power of Attorney or Third Party Access in place.

If you are in this position and need to talk to someone, please contact us on 0345 300 0051 and we may be able to help in the short term whilst longer term access is applied for.  

How can I decide which access type is right?

We have a handy tool available to help you decide which access is needed and to help you plan your next steps.

Customer needs toolCustomer needs tool

Further Support

Are you worried about having a conversation about money?

It’s understandable that you might not feel comfortable talking about finances with your loved ones, especially during this current uncertain time. But it’s sometimes those conversations that are the most important ones to have. We are here to help you have those conversations.

You can find free and impartial money advice at the Money Advice Service.

1. Choose the right time and place.
If you want to have a deep and meaningful conversation about money, somewhere private with no distractions is best. You may want to schedule it in so that everyone has time to think about what they want to say.

2. Be open and honest.
To encourage the other person to open up, talk openly and honestly about your own views, strengths and weaknesses when it comes to money. This might mean allowing yourself to be vulnerable and admitting something you struggle with such as budgeting or checking your bank statements.

3. Practice ‘active listening’.
During some conversations we’re busy thinking about what we’re going to say next. This might mean the other person doesn’t feel heard, and that you may miss important points. Try to really listen to everything that’s being said without interrupting. Non-verbal clues like nodding and making eye contact will show you’re listening.

4. Be willing to compromise and agree to disagree.
It’s unlikely you’ll always agree with everyone when you have conversations about money.  Sometimes, to be able to reach a point of resolution, it’ll be necessary to compromise, agree to disagree or let something go.

5. Avoid using blaming language.
To ensure you don’t come across as pointing the finger, use ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements. This means you’re taking responsibility for your own feelings, and means it’s less likely to make the other person defensive.

6. Seek support if you need it.
If there’s an issue you just can’t seem to move past, consider speaking to somebody objective such as a counsellor.

How to protect your wellbeing

Helping or caring for a loved one living with a mental illness can be challenging at the best of times. But the current coronavirus pandemic could create additional problems. Our charity partner, Mental Health UK, has developed some useful tips and ideas to help you look after your mental health in these challenging times, and some practical advice for anyone who would like to help. 

Money management support

For information how we support customers impacted by coronavirus visit our coronavirus help and support page.

Carer support


Carers UK

Bank of Scotland plc. Registered in Scotland No. SC327000. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 169628.

Calls and online sessions may be monitored and/or recorded for quality evaluation, training and to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Not all Telephone Banking services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.