Alzheimer's Locks Children's Savings
2026-09-23
The money is trapped. A First Saver account opened by a mother when her children were born was meant to pay university costs, yet her Alzheimer's disease may now leave the family facing a bank process built around the account holder, not the young people who expected the gift. That mismatch feels cruel.
This is not a paperwork glitch. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that can impair memory, judgement and decision-making capacity, although a diagnosis alone does not automatically determine legal capacity. You need the bank's rules, the account mandate and evidence of authority. If the mother can still give informed instructions, she may be able to direct NatWest herself; if not, access can depend on a registered power of attorney or a court-appointed deputy. Ownership matters too.
The real failure is design. Families can see a children's savings pot as a promise, while a bank sees a contract tied to one named customer. You should ask NatWest, in writing, who owns the balance, what authority it accepts, and whether it can record the family's circumstances through its vulnerability process. Keep every reply. If the answer stalls, use the formal complaints route and seek independent legal advice before money needed for education becomes money nobody can touch. What would you do?
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