Carers Card Account

The Carers Card Account lets you give debit cards to 2 people who care for you. The money you transfer to your Carers Card is separate from your other current and savings accounts. This means your carers can get cash or go shopping for you.

How it works

• You must be over 18 and live in the UK permanently 
• You're an existing customer who has a Santander current or instant access savings account that you can move money from.
• You transfer money from your current or savings account to your Carers Card Account. This is so that your carer can access the amount you’ve put in.
• The maximum amount you can put in is £1500. Choose up to  2 carers to get their own card and PIN. A carer can be a family member, friend or someone else you trust.
• You and your carers can both keep track of spending on the card. This is through regular statements, in branch, over the phone or through Online Banking or our Mobile Banking app.
• Your carers will get different Mobile and Online Banking log on details to you. This will allow them to make Faster Payments for something you need using Mobile or Online Banking.

Separate money, for your security

The Carers Card Account is separate from your main accounts. This means you and your carers can’t use it to set up Direct Debits or standing orders. Your carers won’t be able to see if you have any other Santander accounts when they use Online Banking. They’ll only be able to see details for the Carers Card Account.

Other ways to get help with your banking

The Carers Card Account is just one of the ways we may be able to help you if you’re worried about getting to the shops, or looking after your money now or later on in life. 

You may want to consider our other supported banking options like Third Party Access. Third Party Access lets someone you trust – a ‘third party’ – use your current or savings account. It might be useful if you need someone to help you with your day-to-day banking for a short time. You can find out more by visiting our supported banking pages.

The main difference between the Carers Card Account and third party access is that with the Carers Card Account, your carer only has access to funds that you transfer to the Carers Card Account. They can't do your day-to-day banking for you.

Power of Attorney (PoA)

An attorney can open a Carer’s Card on behalf of the account holder if they lack mental capacity and can’t make their own financial decisions. The attorney can then add the carer as a named individual on the Carer’s Card account.

The attorney can only do this if they have a valid Enduring or Lasting PoA registered with Santander, or if they've been appointed by a Court of Protection Order.

You can find more information on our power of attorney page.
 

Please remember that if you add a carer or third party access to your account, you're still responsible for anything your chosen person does with it.

If you’re experiencing a situation that’s affecting the way you manage your finances, it can be helpful to tell us so you don’t need to repeat yourself every time you speak to us. 

Let us know by logging on to Mobile or Online Banking, start a chat and type in ‘tell us once’ and we’ll record it with your consent. Please visit our chat with us online page to learn more about our secure chat and how to access it.

You can also tell us in branch or over the phone by contacting us

For more detailed information, take a look at our dedicated accessibility page.