How to open a bank account

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1 2 Easy read How to open a bank account Self-directed support: an Easy Read guide to getting the help and support you need

2 Self-directed support: an Easy Read guide to getting the help and support you need Self-directed support is all about being able to choose the help and support you want. We are writing lots of fact sheets to help you. Each one tells you more about self-directed support and where you can go to find out more information. This fact sheet tells you how to open a bank account. A bank account is somewhere you keep your money you can pay money in and take money out of your account. You can do this on your own or ask someone else to open the account for you. You will need a bank account if you get a Personal or Individual Budget. This is money you get to pay for help and support. This fact sheet tells you about different bank accounts you can open and how to open them.

3 Things to know about before you open a bank account Before you can open an account you need to = be able to prove who you are this means being able to show that you are who you say you are. This fact sheet can tell you more about how to do this = show that you are OK to look after the money. If you want to open the account for someone else then you need to prove that this is what the person wants Some banks are not very good at dealing with some people. They might not understand the things you need. Self-directed support Page

4 Before you open the account you need to think about = what kind of account you need = having the right papers to prove your identity this means things like your passport. A passport is a book that says who you are and where you were born. You need a passport to travel outside of the country you were born in = if you are OK to decide things for yourself and look after your money. If you cannot do this then the law says you can ask someone else to do this for you. The law means the rules that everyone has to follow Self-directed support Page

5 Things to do before you open the bank account If you think you might find it hard to open a bank account you can = go and see a bank where you live. You can tell them what you need face to face. This can be easier than talking on the telephone = look for a bank that will help you open an bank account that works well for you = talk to other people with bank accounts they will be able to help you find the best bank account that works for you = ask someone from the bank to come and visit you at home If you want to open or look after an account for someone else then the bank has to follow the rules. This fact sheet can tell you more about this. Self-directed support Page

6 More things about opening a bank account There are lots of different bank accounts to choose from. Before you open an account you need to think about what is important to you. You might want to think about 1. How you want to do your banking. For example, do you want to = go in and see someone = speak to someone on the telephone this is called telephone banking = use the internet this is called internet banking = have a postal account this means you can send cheques to the bank in the post Self-directed support Page

7 2. Getting your money. For example, do you want to = use a cash machine this means you use a card to get money out. You put the card in a machine and type in a number = get cash back this means you can get money at a shop on your card when you buy other things = get your money from the Post Office 3. Ways you can pay for things. You can pay for things using a = cash card this is a card you use to get money out of a cash machine. You will need to type in a number called a pin code to do this. A pin code is a number that only you know. Do not tell anyone else this number = debit card this is a card you can use to pay for things in shops and on the internet. You need a pin code to use this card too = credit card this is a card you can use to buy things. You do not pay for the things you buy until you get a bill from the credit card company Self-directed support Page

8 = cheque a cheque is when you write how much money you are going to pay someone so they can pay it into their bank account = direct debits this is money that is taken out of your account every month to pay for things. Once you set this up the direct debit will go out until you ask the bank to stop it = standing orders this is when you ask your bank to pay money out to someone. You need to tell the bank how much money you want them to pay and when to send it. Most standing orders are paid once a month 4. Other things to think about. This might be things like = interest interest is money the bank pays to you when you keep money with them for a long time. The bank will have their own rules about how much interest they pay = how much money you can take out at one time some banks only let you take a certain amount of money out at a time = borrowing money this is when you ask the bank to lend you money that you pay back to them another time Self-directed support Page

9 Things the bank will tell you Before you open the account, the bank will tell you things like = all the things they can do for you = what their charges and interest are charges are extra money you have to pay if things change in your account. Interest is money the bank pays you if you keep money in your bank account = how the account works this means things like rules the bank has to follow and rules you have to follow = how to use the account and check your money for example you can go into the bank or you can check things on the internet or on the telephone = how much money you can take out of your account for example some banks will only let you take out so much money in one day = what to do if things go wrong with your account Self-directed support Page

10 How to open a bank account To open a bank account you have to = fill out a form = prove who you are and where you live = put some money into the account The bank might want to do a check on you before they will open the account. Self-directed support Page 10

11 Opening an account with someone else You might want to open an account with someone else. This is called a joint account. You will need to ask the bank about this. There might be extra things you have to do before you can open the account. You will need to find out the rules to follow with a joint account. What to do if the bank will not give you an account If the bank will not give you an account then you need to ask them why. Some bank accounts are only for certain people. Self-directed support Page 11

12 Proving who you are The bank needs to know who you are before you can open an account. This is the law. You might need to prove who you are by showing the bank something like = a passport a passport has your photograph on it and your name. You need to have a passport to travel to another country = a driving licence a driving licence is a piece of paper that says you have passed your driving test and can drive a car If you do not have these things then you can show something else to prove who you are. This might be = a letter to say that you are getting money from the government to help you pay for things = a letter from someone in charge of the place where you live or where you go to school or college Ask the bank about what kind of proof or letter they need. Self-directed support Page 12

13 Opening a bank account and looking after an account for someone else Not everyone can decide things for themselves. There is a law that helps people who cannot do this. This law is called the Mental Capacity Act This law says that it is OK to ask someone else to do things for you. This means things like opening a bank account and looking after your money for you. You have to fill out a form to say that you are OK for the person you have chosen to do things for you. The law has to say that this is OK before anything can happen. Self-directed support Page 13

14 You can ask = a lawyer to do things for you. A lawyer is someone whose job is to know about the law the law means the rules everyone has to follow = a friend or someone in your family = someone who helps you get your money from the government this means things like benefits. Benefits are things like money to pay for where you live Whoever you choose, the court will have to say it is OK for that person to do things for you. Self-directed support Page 14

15 Sophie s story Sophie gets a Personal Budget to pay for the help and support she needs. A personal budget is money you can get to pay for help and support. Sophie asked her mum and dad to help her sort out her money. She asked them to open a bank account in her name. The bank said this was OK but they asked her mum and dad to go to court to sort this out. They said they had to do this to follow the law. Sophie s mum and dad are now deputies and can decide things for Sophie if she wants them to. Deputies are people you can ask to do things for you like opening a bank account. This is important in case anything happens to you. Self-directed support Page 15

16 How to find out more You can find out more about how to open a bank account by going to these websites You can find out more about staying in control by going to You can download the information on your computer. Download means saving information on your computer so you can look at it when you are ready. You can download a DVD to watch on your computer by going to Self-directed support Page 16

17 You can buy the DVD and books that tell more on the internet by going to Or you can buy the DVD and the books from In Control Support Centre Carillon House Chapel Lane Wythall B47 6JX Self-directed support Page 17

18 How to get help To get more help you can contact the Learning Disability Helpline. You can do this by Telephone Text If you want to read more fact sheets, you can go to Self-directed support Page 18