Barclays won't let cash in some shares without more ID

My mother needs to sell shares to pay her care home fees. She has been a customer of Barclays for more than 50 years so I sent the forms, which she had signed, to the bank's stockbroking division. Barclays returned the forms demanding documents to verify my mother's identity. The documents required, such as passport or driving licence, are not ones a 94-year-old would possess. The address to be identified is where Barclays routinely sends her bank statement each month. RH, Chelmsford Barclays said it didn't refuse to trade your mother's shares for lack of ID but because some of the settlement documents were missing, possibly lost at its end. It has now agreed to accept a letter from your mother's nursing home confirming she is a resident and her date of birth, or a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions showing her home address. It has sent her new forms, already filled out, to sell her shares so she only needs to sign them and return the share certificate. You can email Margaret Dibben at [email protected] or write to Margaret Dibben, Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU and include a telephone number. Do not enclose SAEs or original documents. The newspaper accepts no legal responsibility for advice.