Supporting someone else

Here are the options available for giving or getting access to an HL account.

Manage someone else’s account

If the person you want to support has the mental capacity to make their own decisions, they will need to set up your access to their account.

They can do this by linking accounts with you or setting up a power of attorney.

If the person you want to support has lost their mental capacity, and they do not already have a power of attorney in place, you will need to apply to be their deputy.

If your application hasn’t been approved yet, you can also get an urgent or emergency interim order.

Let us know about your deputyship by sending us a certified copy of the Order you receive from the Court of Protection.

Let someone else manage my account

There are two ways you can let someone else manage your account.

• Linked accounts – an easy way to let someone else view your account and carry out some transactions for you.
• Power of attorney – this will formally give someone else complete access to your account.

Linked accounts

When you link accounts with another HL account holder, they can see the same information as you do when you log in.

There are two options. 'View only access' means they’ll be able to see the same information and use some of the same functions as you do, such as sending secure messages. 'Trade access' allows them to place deals on your behalf as well.

You’ll still need to log in yourself for some things, including adding cash, requesting withdrawals, or amending your personal details.

Please do not share your login details with anyone. Accounts should only be linked to trusted people like family members.

Get more information about linked accounts

Power of Attorney (POA)

If you want to be prepared for a situation where you have an accident, illness or you cannot make your own decisions, consider a power of attorney (POA). A POA is a legal document which gives one or more people the power to make decisions and manage:

• your money or property
• your health and welfare (This option is not available in Northern Ireland)

If you’re aged 18 or over, you can set one up at any time, as long as you’re able to make decisions yourself.

Types of power of attorney

There are two types of power of attorney – ongoing or temporary.

Ongoing power of attorney

These have no expiry date and have different names depending on where you live in the UK.

Get more information about setting up:

• lasting power of attorney in England and Wales at gov.uk
• continuing power of attorney in Scotland at mygov.scot
• enduring power of attorney in Northern Ireland at nidirect.gov.uk

Temporary power of attorney

Useful for things like hospital visits or trips abroad when you might need help with everyday tasks like paying bills. They are called:

• ordinary power of attorney in England and Wales
• general power of attorney in Scotland and Northern Ireland

If you want to set up an ordinary or general power of attorney, you should contact your local Citizen’s Advice or get advice from a solicitor.

Choosing an attorney

When appointing someone as an attorney under a POA, it’s important to consider the responsibility you’ll be giving them.

You should also ask:

• Do they have a good knowledge of savings and investments?
• Are they confident making decisions about saving and investing?

You could also consider speaking to one of our advisers. They can provide an impartial opinion and recommend investments that would be suitable for your circumstances. They can work alongside you, or your attorney, and take on some of the responsibility.

Learn more about financial advice at HL.

Registering a power of attorney with HL

Lasting powers of attorney set up in England or Wales

1. Create your account at gov.uk.
2. When you are registered, you’ll receive a secure code.
3. Email this code to us at client.recordssupport1@hl.co.uk.
4. If you have any specific preferences or instructions on your POA, we cannot see these with just your secure code. Please attach a photo, photocopy, or screenshot of your POA so we can see your preferences. This image does not need to be certified or original.
5. We'll update your account and contact you via your preferred method to confirm everything.

All other types of power of attorney and Orders of the Court of Protection

Send the original or a certified copy of your document to:

Hargreaves Lansdown
1 College Square South
Anchor Road
Bristol
BS1 5HL

How to certify a copy

You can certify copies of your own power of attorney or you can use a solicitor or notary.

Orders of the Court of Protection will need to be signed by a solicitor or notary. You can find a list of people who can certify documents on gov.uk.

To make sure your registration goes smoothly, your documents need to be certified correctly.

1. Every page other than the last page should have this text written in pen at the bottom: “I certify this is a true and complete copy of the corresponding page of the original lasting power of attorney.”
2. The last page must say “I certify this is a true and complete copy of the lasting power of attorney.”
3. The person certifying the document should sign it on every page.
4. The full name and contact details of the person certifying the document must be written clearly on either the first or last page. We may need to contact them so it will slow down your registration if we do not have this information.
5. The date the document was certified must also be written on every page.