Published on 12, July, 2020
I have recently been made an appointee for my brother and I have been asked to set up a bank account for him.
I am not sure where exactly where to begin with this as this was previously dealt with by the company that used to care for him.
He is non-verbal and unable to communicate properly so bringing him to the bank to open the account is not an option. He also does not currently hold any photo ID as we have not previously required this for anything but I am sure that I would need a passport or something in the lines of photo identification to get an account set up. Again, I don't think that it would be an option to bring him to get a passport photo taken.
I would be very grateful for any advice around opening an account and how to go about obtaining photo ID for him. I feel very out of my depth with this.
Hi there, I've got a little bit of experience in this as have worked with young adults with additional needs for a long time, opening a bank account has been an issue on a number of occasions.
As your brother is non-verbal, and unable to communicate or consent to having a bank account, a bank may be reluctant to provide a bank account for him (to avoid financial abuse). If you can get some form of official statement from your Adult Services section of your local council which states he [Does not have capacity to make independent financial decisions]. This will provide you with an understanding of what you need to do (e.g. open a bank account which you are responsible for, an account looked after by a social worker etc.)
As has been mentioned before in this discussion, it's a good idea to speak to someone in person from the branch as they will be able to give some practical advice on their own branches policy.
For instance, if your local branch is HSBC, they require 2 forms of ID:
Proof of identity:
- Passport- Driver’s licence- EU identity card
Proof of address:- Utility bill- Telephone bill- Council tax bill- Mortgage statement- Tenancy agreement
I would recommend including your brother in these meetings though, although your brother isn't verbal or as you say able to communicate. His lack of ability to provide consent will be an aspect in creating the bank account. I'd recommend speaking to a bank to ask them what they need as your brother is non verbal; and speak to Adult Services who will be able to give some advice.
Good luck
You can take passport photos at home these days, as long as you follow all the guidance, so it might be possible to apply for a passport for him. Once you have that proving ID should be easy.
It’s not exactly the same but my daughter’s account is technically in my name but on her behalf (her name is also on it) I don’t know if that is specific to children’s accounts it might be worth asking your own bank how they would approach your situation, if they have a similar type of account they may not need him to have ID just the DWP paperwork. My daughter doesn’t have any type of ID
I don't know, have you tried contacting various banks and asking about the requirements and explaining his situation? I find the whole photo ID thing really diificult, especially where you need two forms of photo ID, in particular a full driving licence and passport. My 89 year old Mum is really hit by this as she'd never driven and no longer travels, it feels like a tax on being able to live in the 21stC.