The Disability Rights Commission is calling on banks to stop discriminating against vulnerable customers who can no longer manage their own financial affairs.

Elderly or disabled people often give Enduring Power of Attorney to a friend or relative to act on their behalf.

But several financial institutions currently refuse to let attorneys access all of their accounts and services.

The issue came to light when Professor Peter Willetts, who holds an EPA for his disabled father, tried to open a savings account with the internet bank Smile. His application was rejected.

The DRC took on his case claiming the bank was in breach of current disability discrimination laws. Smile subsequently agreed to change its policy and settled with Professor Willetts out of court.

DRC Chief Executive Bob Niven is delighted with the outcome:

"The Disability Discrimination Act clearly states that disabled people should have the same access to goods and services - including financial products - as non-disabled people.

With the number of older disabled people on the increase this is an issue banks and other service providers will have to face.

And as disabled people have an annual spending power of �40 billion pounds, this is a custom they cannot afford to turn down."

BBC Radio 4's Money Box programme has highlighted the issue of attorneys not being able to open certain bank accounts in the past.

Money Box contacted those banks and building societies who currently restrict access to ask if they would change their policies in the light of the DRC's involvement.

All but one told Money Box they would immediately review their procedures.

Bristol and West, which does not allow customers who have an EPA to open any of its 'direct access' accounts said it saw no need to change its rules: "We believe that we do not discriminate against disabled people.

Although EPA is not available on our remotely operated Direct accounts, it is available on accounts taken out via our branches.

We have no plans to make our remote accounts accessible to people who hold EPA"

When Money Box put this to Bob Niven of the DRC on Saturday's programme, he said that it was difficult to reconcile what Bristol and West had said with the law.

"If an individual takes a case against Bristol and West and the facts seem to point to them being in breach of the law then we are very likely to support that individual"