Can Banks Reject Power of Attorney in the UK?

The Short Answer

A bank may refuse to process a request through a particular channel, such as a branch, or delay access while completing its own checks, even after the Office of the Public Guardian has registered the LPA. A validly registered LPA is legally binding, but banks can impose their own internal registration procedures and branch staff may still reject a request because they are unfamiliar with the system.

The distinction between "reject" and "delay" matters. A registered LPA is a legally binding document. What most families experience is not a legal rejection but an operational bottleneck: the bank has its own compliance process, and until the attorney clears that process, the bank will not grant access.

Why Banks Delay or Refuse

Branch-level unfamiliarity: Front-line bank staff at local branches often have limited training on LPA procedures. They may ask for documents the law does not require, misunderstand the difference between a registered and unregistered LPA, or tell the attorney they need a solicitor to "certify" the document.

Section 7 restrictions: If the donor included custom instructions in Section 7 of the LPA — particularly around spending limits, transaction types, or conditions — bank compliance teams may struggle to interpret them. Overly narrow or ambiguous restrictions can lead the bank to pause and seek clarification, which can take weeks.

Internal registration process: Every major bank requires the attorney to complete its own internal registration, regardless of OPG registration. This typically involves filling out the bank's LPA registration form, providing identification, and waiting for the bank's legal team to verify the LPA against the OPG's records. Processing times vary from a few days (HSBC, Barclays) to several weeks (some building societies).

Joint account complications: When the donor held a joint account and the co-holder is still alive, banks sometimes freeze the entire account rather than just the donor's share. This is technically unnecessary for a joint account with survivorship rights, but banks err on the side of caution.

What to Do When a Bank Refuses

Step 1: Escalate past the branch. Do not argue with branch staff. Call the bank's dedicated LPA or bereavement team — every major bank has one. Ask for their specific LPA registration process and follow it.

Step 2: Use the digital access code. For an LPA registered on or after 1 January 2016, log into the Use an LPA service, generate a fresh 13-character access code, and give it to the bank's LPA team. This allows them to verify the LPA directly against the OPG's register without needing to inspect the paper document.

Step 3: Make a formal complaint. If the bank continues to delay unreasonably (more than two to three weeks after receiving all required documents), submit a formal complaint in writing. Reference the registered LPA, the OPG verification code, and the specific dates you have been waiting.

Step 4: Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If the bank does not resolve the complaint within eight weeks, or if it sends a "final response" that you disagree with, you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can order the bank to register the LPA and may award compensation for the delay.

How Long Registration Should Take

There is no single statutory deadline for a bank's internal LPA registration. Processing times vary by institution: some major banks process an LPA in days, while some building societies take several weeks.

Delays are usually caused by one of three things: the attorney submitted the LPA to a branch instead of the dedicated team, the LPA contains Section 7 restrictions that the compliance team needs to review, or the bank's records for the donor's accounts contain discrepancies (a different name spelling, an old address, or accounts that have been migrated between banking platforms).

Preventing Problems

The most effective way to avoid bank registration delays is to register the LPA with the donor's main bank before the attorney actually needs to use it — ideally as soon as the OPG returns the registered document. Banks process LPA registrations faster when there is no urgency, and the attorney will have a clear line of access if the donor later loses capacity suddenly.

For bank-specific registration steps and escalation letter templates, see our Lasting Power of Attorney guide.

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