What happens next?

If no objections to your application are received we will send you certificate of authority. You will also receive information about your responsibilities  as 'withdrawer' (the name given to the applicant once appointed).  Your appointment will last for 3 years, unless otherwise stated.

You should contact the bank or building society where the adult’s funds are held and inform them of your appointment. They will need to see your certificate of authority to find out all of the necessary details to set up access to the funds. Remember that the authority does not allow you to access the adult’s account directly. The bank will instead transfer the agreed amount of funds into an account, known as the designated account, to which you will have access.

Opening a designated account

You will need to open a bank account so that the funds you requested in the application form can be transferred into this account from the adult’s own account. This new account is called the ‘designated’ account and should be opened in your name on behalf of the adult. It is your choice as to where you want to open the designated account. It does not need to be with the same bank or branch as the adult’s account.

Once the designated account has been set up, regular payments, normally monthly will be transferred into it. For example, if you told us in the application form that you needed access to £1,000 each month to pay for the adult’s regular living expenses, £1,000 would be transferred from the adult’s account into the designated account. This means that you would only have access to this amount of money in the designated account.

How long does the authority last?

The appointment is normally set at 3 years, but this period can either be reduced or extended or, indeed, be set for an indefinite period provided the Public Guardian is satisfied of the need to change it.