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General power of attorney under the 1971 Act (England and Wales)
England and Wales · in English
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11 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in England and Wales
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For an adult who wants someone they trust to handle their money and affairs while they can still decide for themselves — when abroad, in hospital or simply needing help. A deed in the form of section 10 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1971, signed in front of a witness. It stops working if you lose mental capacity; for that, make a lasting power of attorney through the Office of the Public Guardian, whose online service is the first place to look.
- Made for use in England and Wales
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are going abroad for months and want someone you trust to run your affairs in England.
- You are going into hospital and someone needs to pay your bills while you recover.
- Your elderly parent in Wales wants help with the bank while they can still decide for themselves.
- You need a general power of attorney now, not a lasting one for the future.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- Principal
- Principal's address
- Town or city
- Principal's postcode
- Attorney (the person you appoint)
- Attorney's address, with postcode
- Second attorney (blank if only one)
- Second attorney's address, with postcode
- How two attorneys act
- Valid until
Common questions
- Should I make a lasting power of attorney instead of a general one?
- If you want someone to act for you if you lose mental capacity, yes: a general power under the 1971 Act cannot be used once you lack capacity for the decision, and only a lasting power of attorney continues. A lasting power must be made with the Office of the Public Guardian’s own forms or online service and registered before use, for £92. This deed is for the time while you can still decide yourself.
- How do I sign a power of attorney so that it is valid?
- It must be signed as a deed (Powers of Attorney Act 1971, s 1): you sign with a witness physically present, and the witness then signs and adds their name, address and occupation. Choose an adult witness who is not your attorney and preferably not a relative. Keep the original safe. A copy certified on every page as a true and complete copy can be used in place of the original (section 3); each bank says whom it accepts as the certifier.
- Will my bank or HM Land Registry accept a general power of attorney?
- Banks and building societies decide for themselves, and many have their own free third-party mandate or power of attorney form; for a single account, that may be all you need. HM Land Registry’s practice guide 9 explains what it accepts for land. A general power does not cover what you do as a trustee or executor, and jointly owned property can need a different power.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Deed of revocation of a power of attorney (England and Wales)
For someone who gave a general or one-off power of attorney and wants to end it — they no longer need it, or no longer trust the attorney. The deed revokes the power from its date and is signed in front of a witness. Give a copy to the attorney and to every bank or organisation that has dealt with them: until they know, they may still be protected if they rely on the power (Powers of Attorney Act 1971, s 5). Not for a registered lasting power of attorney.
- Power of attorney for a single matter (England and Wales)
For someone who needs another person to act for them in one matter only — selling a car, signing a contract, dealing with a bank account or a property sale while they are abroad. A deed (Powers of Attorney Act 1971, s 1) that names the matter, what the attorney may sign and when the power ends, signed in front of a witness. If a letter of authority or the organisation’s own free form will do, use that first.
- Letter of consent for a child to travel abroad (England and Wales)
For a parent or anyone else with parental responsibility who is not going on the trip: a signed letter consenting to the child travelling abroad with the other parent, grandparents, a school or a friend’s family. Taking a child under 16 out of the UK without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, or the court’s permission, can be an offence (Child Abduction Act 1984, s 1). There is no official form. The letter names the child, the trip and the dates, and gives your telephone number so that border staff or an airline can check it. Give it to the adult travelling, with a copy of your passport or driving licence.
- Change of name deed for an adult (England and Wales)
For anyone aged 16 or over who is changing their first name, surname or both — after marriage, divorce or simply by choice — and needs proof for their bank, employer, HM Passport Office or DVLA. An unenrolled deed poll you make yourself: it renounces the old name, adopts the new one and is signed in both names in front of two adult witnesses. GOV.UK explains the free route and the optional enrolment at the Royal Courts of Justice, which costs a fee.
- Formal complaint to your council (England)
For a resident unhappy with a council service or decision — bins, potholes, planning enforcement, noise, social care, a school place process or poor handling of an earlier request: a formal complaint under the council’s complaints procedure, saying what happened, what you have done so far and what you want the council to do. Use the council’s online form if it has one. If you are still unhappy after its final reply, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints free of charge.
- Freedom of information request to a public authority (UK)
For anyone who wants information held by a council, government department, NHS or HSC body, police force, school or other public authority in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or a UK-wide body, including its offices in Scotland: a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, also covering environmental information, asking for a reply within 20 working days. Many authorities have their own free online form or FOI email address. A Scottish public authority — the Scottish Government, a Scottish council, NHS Scotland or a Scottish school — answers under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 instead: use the Scottish request for it.