Letter of Authority in Australia: What It Must Say and When an Organisation Wants Its Own Form

A letter of authority is a short, signed letter that tells an organisation it may deal with a person you name, for a task you describe, for a set time. People use one so a family member or friend can collect a parcel or documents, or talk to a utility, insurer, real estate agent or other organisation about their account. It is not a power of attorney, and many organisations have their own authority form, so check with the organisation before you write one.

Claim Done drafts a letter of authority from your answers for a flat A$29. It names one person, says exactly what they may do and until when, and states plainly that it is not a power of attorney.

When a letter of authority is the right tool

The privacy regulator explains that when a request is made to see personal information, only you or a person you have authorised can make it, and the organisation must be satisfied the request came from you or that person. A clear letter is one way to show your permission.

A letter of authority suits a single task or matter, such as:

• collecting a parcel, documents, keys or goods from a courier, shop or office
• talking to a phone, internet, energy or water company about your account
• dealing with a landlord or real estate agent while you are away or unwell
• dealing with a school, childcare centre, club or community group
• speaking to an insurer about one claim.

It does not suit running your money or property. For a bank, ask the bank what it needs before you write anything. Operating a bank account for someone is listed by the New South Wales Government as a power of attorney task, which is covered further down.

Check first: many organisations have their own form

A letter you wrote yourself may not be what an organisation uses. Some examples:

• Australia Post. For some missed deliveries you can nominate someone else to collect the item, and Australia Post lists three ways to do it: its app, its collection authorisation form, or the authorisation section on the collection card. The person collecting needs proof of identity. Some senders require collection by the addressee in person, and then authority to collect is not an option.
• Services Australia. Medicare, Centrelink, aged care and Child Support have their own acting arrangements, with different processes and rules for each. For Centrelink you can authorise a person permitted to enquire, who can only ask questions for you, or a nominee, who helps with all your Centrelink business. This is set up online or with Services Australia’s own authorising form (SS313). Claim Done does not prepare a letter for these agencies, because their own process is the way to do it.
• Energy and water ombudsmen. The Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW says it needs authority from the person making the complaint, verbally or in writing, and it has an Authority to Act form. The Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria says it will generally accept verbal authority for a family member or friend, and usually needs its signed form for a paid advocate. The Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland has its own Authority to Act form.
• Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Someone you trust can complain for you. The Ombudsman says it may need your permission for them to act for you, and confirmation of your identity.

So the first step is a phone call or a look at the organisation’s website. Ask: do you have your own authority form, and if not, will you accept a signed letter?

Letter of authority or power of attorney?

A power of attorney is a legal document. A letter of authority is a plain letter of permission for one task. This is what three State pages say about a general power of attorney, the kind used while you can still make your own decisions.

If you need someone to sign contracts, buy or sell property, run your bank accounts, or make decisions for you if you become unable to, a letter of authority is not the right document: look at a power of attorney instead. In other States and Territories, check with your public trustee or public advocate.

What the letter must say

Make the letter leave no doubt. Include:

• Who you are: your full name, address and any account, customer, booking or tracking number.
• Who you are authorising: their full name and how they know you.
• Exactly what they may do: for example, collect one named item, or discuss your account and ask for copies of your bills.
• For how long: an end date, or a single day for a one-off task.
• Identification: the ID the person will show.
• How to check with you: a phone number or email so the organisation can confirm.
• Your signature and the date.

The structure of a letter of authority

1. Your details and the date. Your name, address and contact details at the top.
2. Who it is addressed to. The organisation, and a team or role if you know it.
3. Subject line. “Letter of authority for” the person’s full name, with the account or reference number.
4. The authority. One sentence: you authorise the named person to act on your behalf in the matter.
5. What they may do. The exact tasks, and nothing wider.
6. The period. The start and end date, or the one day.
7. Identification. The ID they will bring.
8. The limits. A sentence saying the authority covers only the matters listed and is not a power of attorney.
9. Confirmation and sign-off. An invitation to contact you to confirm, then your signature, name and date.

How to give it and what to keep

Give the signed letter to the person who will act for you, and where you can, email a copy to the organisation before they turn up or call. Keep a copy yourself and note the date you sent it. Make sure the person brings the ID named in the letter. Australia Post, for one, says a photo or image of an ID will not be accepted.

Claim Done’s letter carries your typed signature and the date. If the organisation wants a handwritten signature, print it and sign above your typed name.

If the organisation will not accept the letter

An organisation may say no. Do not argue that it has to accept your letter. Ask what it does need: its own form, a phone call from you to confirm, or a power of attorney.

Limits and safety

• Keep it narrow. List the tasks. Never write “all matters” or “anything else required”.
• Set an end date. Some authorities run until cancelled. The Victorian energy and water ombudsman’s written form is valid permanently unless a box is ticked to limit it to one case.
• Choose someone you trust with the information they will see.
• Withdraw it when it is no longer needed. Tell the organisation and the person, in writing, that the authority has ended, and keep a copy. Services Australia warns that if you do not cancel an arrangement, the person will still have access to your information.

Mistakes to avoid

• Writing a letter when the organisation has its own form.
• Leaving out the account or reference number.
• Giving no end date.
• Using a letter for something that needs a power of attorney.
• Sending the person without ID.
• Forgetting to tell the organisation when the authority has ended.

If a signed letter is what the organisation will accept, Claim Done can draft your letter of authority from your answers for a flat A$29. You read it first, then send it or hand it to the person helping you.