It can start one, not decide one. It can explain what a power of attorney registration needs, collect the documents, check they are complete and keep the attorney updated. It cannot accept the document as valid or grant access. A person verifies and registers it, and until then the agent discloses nothing about the account holder's affairs.
Why is a power of attorney request sensitive?
Because it hands control of someone's money to another person, usually at a time when the account holder is least able to object. Most attorneys act in good faith. Some do not, and financial abuse by people holding a power of attorney is a known risk for older and vulnerable customers.
There is also the question of who is asking. Before registration, the person contacting the business is a stranger as far as the account is concerned, however plausible their story. Telling them the balance, or confirming that an account exists, is a disclosure the account holder has not authorised.
What may the agent do, and when must it hold or refuse?
| Step | The agent | A person |
|---|---|---|
| Explain what is needed | Lists documents and certification rules from policy | None |
| Collect documents | Takes uploads or explains where to send originals | Handles originals |
| Check completeness | Confirms all pages present, names consistent, certification visible | Reviews anything unclear |
| Decide the document is valid | Never | Verifies and decides |
| Register the attorney | Never | Registers and sets scope |
| Disclose account details before registration | Refuses | None |
| Track progress | Gives status updates on the request | None |
| Act on the attorney's instructions once registered | Within the attorney's scope and normal limits | Above limits |
| Concerns about the attorney's conduct | Records and hands over | Investigates |
Powers of attorney vary: some cover finances only, some take effect only once the person lacks capacity, some require attorneys to act jointly. The agent should read the scope recorded at registration, not interpret the document itself. The full process is in how to handle power of attorney registrations with an AI agent.
What does this look like at a bank?
Take a building society. A man messages: his father has dementia, he holds a power of attorney, and he needs to see the balance and pay the care home.
The agent explains, kindly and plainly, that it cannot discuss his father's account until the power of attorney is registered. It lists what is needed, takes an upload of a certified copy, and checks it: every page present, the certification wording and signature visible, his name matching the attorney named. It notes that the document requires two attorneys to act jointly and asks whether the second attorney will also register. It holds the request for the specialist team with that note and gives a realistic timescale. Once the team registers both attorneys, the son is verified and can see the account within the recorded scope. Paying the care home then goes through the normal payment process and limits.
How should the agent refuse before registration?
Clearly, with the reason, and without revealing anything. "I can't share information about another person's account until we have registered your authority. Here is what we need" is honest and gives the attorney a path forward. Guidance on refusing well is in how an AI support agent should refuse a request, and on what can be said about the reason in whether a support agent can tell a customer why a request was refused.
Which controls make it safe?
- No disclosure of any account detail before registration is complete.
- Completeness checks against a written checklist; validity decided by a person.
- The attorney's scope recorded at registration and enforced on every request.
- Monitoring of attorney activity for unusual patterns, such as payments to the attorney's own account.
- A route for anyone, including family members, to raise concerns about an attorney.
The broader stance on knowing when to stop is in the guide to AI customer support agents.
Questions people ask
Can the agent tell the attorney whether the account holder has an account with us?
Not before registration. Confirming that an account exists is itself a disclosure.
What if the account holder contacts the agent to object?
The agent records the objection and passes it at once to the specialist team, who decide what to do.
Is a third-party mandate the same as a power of attorney?
No. A mandate is the account holder's own instruction letting someone else operate the account, given while they have capacity. It has its own process.