Court of Protection order

A CoP order is a legal document that gives a deputy the authority to make decisions on behalf of a donor who’s no longer able to make decisions for themselves due to mental capacity limitations. 

Visit the government website to find out how to apply to become a court-appointed deputy and the fees involved. If your application is urgent or an emergency, you can apply for an emergency interim order. 

For all types of CoP order

The deputy must be over 18 

A CoP only lasts as long as the donor is alive

A CoP isn’t like a joint bank account – a deputy won’t have any legal claim to any money

There are two types of deputy, you can apply to be just one type of deputy or both.

1. Property and financial affairs deputy
2. Personal welfare deputy – we don’t accept this

Being someone’s deputy comes with responsibilities and rules on what you must or mustn’t do – anything you do must be in the person’s best interests. You’ll be supervised by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), so it’s important that you understand your responsibilities as a deputy.

If there’s more than one deputy, you’ll need to specify how you’ll act together to make decisions. We explain the two options available for this below.

They can manage a donor’s affairs. This includes

• Money and bills
• Bank and building society accounts
• Property and investments
• Pensions and benefits 

How deputies can manage the donor’s accounts will depend on whether they’re appointed to act ‘jointly’, or ‘jointly and severally’ – see the section above for details. 

Deputies should keep accounts of any decisions made about the donor’s assets, income, spending and outgoings, as these will need to be reported to the OPG each year.  

Documents you’ll need for a branch appointment

ID

If you already bank with us and have a debit card, you’ll need to bring it with you and know your PIN.

If you don’t already bank with us, we’ll need you to verify your identity before your appointment using the Barclays app (verify your identity). If you can’t use the app, don’t worry, you’ll just need to bring your ID and proof of identity to your appointment. Please check our identifications page to see what you’ll need.

Documents

We’ll need to see the full original or certified legal document, not just the summary page. This can be several pages long, so please make sure you bring it all.

What happens next

Once we receive everything we need, we’ll aim to set up your access within 10 working days. If we need anything else from you, we’ll get in touch by email or phone.

When it’s set up, we’ll send you  a letter to confirm that you have access, along with anything else you asked for, such as Online Banking and Telephone Banking details or debit cards.

The type of authority you have will affect how you can manage the person’s accounts once you’re registered with us. Depending on whether you have power of attorney, a Court of Protection order or third-party authority, you’ll have access to these features.

If you have a question or need to make a transfer but can’t visit a branch, call our Telephone Banking team on 0345 734 5345² (+44 24 7684 2100³ if you’re abroad). You’ll need your Telephone Banking membership number and passcode when you call – we’ll have sent you this in a letter when you registered with us. 

The Office of the Public Guardian has a support line that anyone can contact if they have any concerns about a deputy. More details can be found at gov.uk/report-concern-about-deputy-deputy.