I’d heard how awkward banks can be with Power Of Attorney so I was pleasantly surprised when I registered the one I hold for my aunt’s financial affairs. It took about 45 minutes and seemed to be plain sailing. Sadly all downhill from then on.

I’d set up internet banking for her a couple of years ago when she could still deal with a fair bit on her own and would help her do anything she found confusing. We’ve bumbled along - if she needed things I’d tend to order them and get paid back directly from her account to mine. More recently as she’s gone into care and lost capacity I realised I would have to register this LPA with the bank and take over completely.

It’s been an utter disaster.

The bank deregistered her internet banking but left something on the system saying she is still registered. Try and log in and it says no longer registered, try and re- register and it says already registered. I have been every which way round with advisors in various departments and they all end up saying it is a fault with their system. This ‘fault’ has the added effect that they cannot verify my details. Her account cannot be accessed by her as I stupidly answered ‘no’ when asked if she has capacity and cannot be accessed by me because their systems cannot verify me for some reason.

Luckily I set up her online accounts with national savings etc. so could open a new bank account for her money to be paid into as necessary to pay care home fees and expenses. It doesn't sit well with me that this has to be in my name and I have to spend a great deal of time ensuring funds do not build up in an account which could (should) be subject to close scrutiny because it isn’t my money.

When she first asked for my help nearly all her money was in the bank. Thank goodness I suggested she move most of it or we would now be totally screwed. I now wish I’d never tried to do the right thing by registering that LPA with the bank. I could happily have continued logging into her online account to pay her expenses even though she was no longer really approving each transaction as had previously been the case. There are still small amounts which get paid into that Lloyd’s account occasionally and I don’t have enough detail to get them changed. None of it can be accessed until the day I can walk in there with a death certificate and her will.

With the benefit of hindsight I would suggest anyone thinking of setting up an LPA goes for the option of adding their proposed attorney as a joint account holder on their bank accounts instead. It could save an awful lot of time and stress.