Managing someone else's financial affairs

You might want to manage someone else's affairs because they:

Are ill or disabled, either temporarily or on a long-term basis
Are out of the country for a while
Are unable to make decisions for themselves, because of mental illness or other reasons

Managing someone else's affairs can mean a number of things, including looking after their bank accounts, savings, investments or other financial affairs; buying and selling property on their behalf; claiming and spending welfare benefits on their behalf; deciding where they live; and making decisions about their day-to-day personal care or healthcare.

There are different ways of managing someone's affairs. Choosing the right one will depend on the circumstances of the person whose affairs you want to manage, and whether or not they have mental capacity to make the decisions themselves.

You can look after someone's affairs in one of the following ways:

With a letter or a third-party mandate to deal with a bank, building society or other financial account
As an agent or appointee to deal with someone's welfare benefits or tax credits
With a power of attorney. There are different types of power of attorney. These are legal documents that allows you to appoint someone to have the authority to make decisions about your welfare and financial affairs
As a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection. This has to be agreed by a specific type of court order. It will state what specific powers you have and what areas of that person's life you can make decisions about. To become a deputy, you will need to apply to the Court of Protection.

If you would like further information, you might find the links below useful: