Third party access relates to different ways of giving another person access to your bank account and the right to operate it.
Power of Attorney
If you need help with your account, getting a Power of Attorney may be a better choice than converting your account to a joint account.
Court of Protection Orders and Deputyship
You could apply for a Court of Protection Order to be appointed as a deputy for someone who has lost capacity.
Third Party Mandate
If you're an HSBC customer, you can complete a third party mandate. This is an HSBC specific document which tells us that you'd like to give another person access to your bank account and the right to operate it.
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances | Third Party Mandate | Ordinary power of attorney | Lasting power of attorney | Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
Court of Protection order |
Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
Guardianship order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
You need help with account management for administrative convenience |
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aaaaa |
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You are going abroad and won't have access to accounts |
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You are physically ill, injured or disabled |
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You are preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable |
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You have lost mental capacity |
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if prepared before losing capacity |
if prepared before losing capacity |
if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted | if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted |
|
| The customer is a missing persons |
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
You need help with account management for administrative convenience |
|---|---|
| Third Party Mandate |
|
| Ordinary power of attorney |
|
| Lasting power of attorney |
aaaaa |
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
|
| Court of Protection order |
|
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
|
| Guardianship order |
|
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
You are going abroad and won't have access to accounts |
| Third Party Mandate |
|
| Ordinary power of attorney |
|
| Lasting power of attorney | |
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
|
| Court of Protection order |
|
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
|
| Guardianship order |
|
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
You are physically ill, injured or disabled |
| Third Party Mandate |
|
| Ordinary power of attorney |
|
| Lasting power of attorney |
|
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
|
| Court of Protection order |
|
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
|
| Guardianship order |
|
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
You are preparing for a time when you may become mentally incapable |
| Third Party Mandate |
|
| Ordinary power of attorney |
|
| Lasting power of attorney |
|
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
|
| Court of Protection order |
|
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
|
| Guardianship order |
|
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances |
You have lost mental capacity |
| Third Party Mandate |
|
| Ordinary power of attorney |
|
| Lasting power of attorney |
if prepared before losing capacity |
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
if prepared before losing capacity |
| Court of Protection order |
if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted |
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
if a lasting power of attorney or enduring power of attorney has not already been granted |
| Guardianship order |
|
| Example of HSBC customer's circumstances | The customer is a missing persons |
| Third Party Mandate | |
| Ordinary power of attorney | |
| Lasting power of attorney | |
| Enduring power of attorney (only valid if written and signed before 1 October 2007) |
|
| Court of Protection order |
|
| Department of Work and Pensions appointee |
|
| Guardianship order |
Emergency contact
If you're an HSBC UK customer, you can provide us with an Emergency Contact. This is an HSBC Group-specific request which tells us that you’d like us to speak with someone you trust if you’re unwell and unable to communicate.
When might you choose this option?
You may choose this option if you’re unwell and haven’t yet agreed a Power of Attorney, or if you want the comfort of knowing we have contact information for your family or friends in cases of emergency.
Key features for you
We’ll use information provided by your emergency contact to confirm your mental and physical wellbeing when you’re unable to.
We may call your emergency contact if appropriate, in the event of an emergency while you are in one of our branches; such as a fall or an accident.
Your emergency contact can also call us to tell us if you’re unwell and if you can’t communicate with us. We may use this information to tailor the way we communicate with you and manage your accounts while you’re unavailable, such as temporarily suspending repeat letters or calls.
Your emergency contact won’t have any access to your accounts and they won’t have authority to make decisions on your behalf. If you require help with your accounts, please see our list of the different types of Third Party authorities below.
How to apply
You can provide us with your emergency contact details either in one of our HSBC UK branches, or by calling our Telephone Banking team.
Don’t forget to notify your emergency contact of their responsibility and if their contact details change, please let us know.
You have rights regarding your information, including being able to see what we hold about you. For more information please see our full Privacy Notice which can be found by visiting www.hsbc.co.uk/privacy-notice.
Guardianship orders for missing persons
You might consider this if a person goes missing, for example a family member, close friend or business partner.
You can apply to the courts for a Guardianship Order. This will allow you to manage the property and financial affairs of the missing person.
The court will only make an order appointing a guardian if it considers the missing person has been missing for at least 90 days before the application.
Two or more people may be appointed as the guardian in respect of one missing person’s property and financial affairs. The maximum length of an appointment is 4 years, but you can be re-appointed on a new application and there's no limit on the number of times applications can be made.
If the missing person returns, they're still entitled to access their accounts to the full capacity they had before their disappearance.
Department for Work and Pensions
If you know someone who needs help claiming and managing their benefits because they have a severe disability or lack mental capacity, you could become an appointee of the Department of Work and Pensions.
When might you choose this option?
You might consider this if you have lost mental capacity (if an Enduring Power of Attorney or Lasting Power of Attorney has not already been granted), or if you feel you could be responsible for making an individual's claims and managing spending.
Emergency third party mandate
If you can't visit a branch you may need to put an emergency third party in place if you need short-term support with your banking.
It can be set up to provide specific, limited access to the your account for a short term period (4 months).
The emergency third party is able to:
- make payments to existing or new individuals, up to £100 per day in total
- make payments to a known organisation (charity, business, company), up to £5,000 monthly in total. More information may be needed from the Emergency Third Party before payments are made to new known organisations
- transfer money between your savings and current accounts, up to £5,000 monthly in total
- cancel Direct Debits and standing orders
You can apply for this by calling our phone banking team
Independence Service
When it becomes difficult to manage your finances, you may need support but you may also want to keep some financial independence.
If this is the case, you can open a Basic Bank Account Providing Independence. This allows you to go about day-to-day tasks such as:
- food shopping
- paying bills
- leisure activities
You and your third party can have peace of mind, as they will retain control of your financial arrangements with us.
Eligibility
- 18 years of age or over
- you need to have a legal third party in place - for example, a power of attorney, Court of Protection order or Department of Work and Pensions appointee
Key features for you
- this account gives you access to a Visa debit card to use in places such as shops and restaurants, as well as being able to use it to withdraw cash at ATMs
- you’ll have peace of mind that all your other accounts with us are still being looked after by your legal third party
Key features for your third party
- they’ll still have access to all of your accounts that they have authority over1
- they’ll be able to access these accounts through telephone banking, online banking or by visiting one of our branches1
- they’re responsible for ensuring the appropriate level of funds are available in your account linked to the Independence Service1
How to apply
Once a legal third party has been registered with us, you can visit your local branch or contact us over the phone to set up the service.
Independence Service FAQs
Please note, in some circumstances you may have the option of using several different types of third party access. The Lasting Power of Attorney and Enduring Power of Attorney in particular may apply in various situations. You need to choose the most suitable option based on your circumstances and goals.
The information relating to third party access on this website is only intended to provide you with a general guide to the options available to you and does not constitute legal advice. We suggest that you seek legal advice before you decide which type of third party access is right for your individual circumstances.
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Tell us about your needs
We're here to support you and your banking in the way that works for you.
Third party FAQs
Find answers to common questions about third party access.
Third party glossary
Learn the meaning of important third party terms and phrases.
Useful links
Access links to further third party information and support.