A power of attorney is a legal document that lets one person (the attorney) make decisions on behalf of another person (the donor).
A Power of attorney is a legal document that lets one person (the attorney) make decisions on behalf of another person (the donor).
The types of powers of attorney which BT accept are:
|
Types of power of attorney |
Conditions |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Lasting power of attorney (LPA). There are two types of LPA: health and welfare, and property and financial affairs. We only accept the property and financial affairs LPA. |
Once registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). |
|
|
Enduring power of attorney (EPA) |
No need to be registered by the OPG unless the donor no longer has mental capacity. |
|
|
Living in Scotland |
If accompanied by a certificate of capacity. (Powers of attorney are called different names and are set up slightly differently in Scotland). |
|
|
If correctly witnessed. Must also be registered if the donor no longer has mental capacity. (Powers of attorney are set up slightly differently in Northern Ireland). |
|
|
Deputyship order |
N/A |
|
|
Appointee / BF57 |
These requests come from a varying source including Money Support Organisations, Local Authorities and Citizens Advice. |
Once we're satisfied that someone’s an attorney (see ‘How to use an LPA or appointee form with BT’ below) we’ll treat them as the account holder. In other words, the donor will no longer be able to manage their account. So if you're the donor, please make sure you're ready to hand over control of your BT account to your attorney before you apply to BT.
We'll need the BT account number (it's on the bill) and we'll need to see a certified copy of the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). This means that each page will need a statement that it's a 'certified copy of the original' and must be signed by the donor, who must still have capacity. The same applies to an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA).
We can also accept access codes (these need to be sent to us in the post) which will allow us to digitally verify your lasting power of attorney. This service can be used if the LPA was registered on or after 1 September 2019.
If the donor has lost capacity, a solicitor will need to certify a copy.
If you've got an EPA, it doesn't need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) unless the donor no longer has mental capacity.
- Then we'll redirect the bills to the attorney/appointee - so if the donor’s BT account is online, the attorney will need to know the log-in details
- We'll put the account onto our Protected Services Scheme to protect you if a bill isn’t paid due to exceptional circumstances
Send photocopies of the PoA (never send us the original) or access codes to:
BT PLC
PO Box 334
Sheffield
S98 1BT
Please include the following:
- The account holder's name and BT account number - which is on the top of their bill
- The name of the attorney/appointee's name and a suitable contact number for them
or email to POA@bt.com