SPOTSIGN

Various kinds of disabilities can make signing your name a bit of a problem.

Banks and building societies are aware that disabled people can experience problems and are happy to help and advise on practical solutions.

Options they suggest is to make better use of chip n pin, cash machines, credit/debit cards, telephone banking and internet on-line banking, this way you can pay bills, set up direct debits or standing orders and transfer money between accounts and purchase goods over the phone or internet.

Sooner or later though you are going to have to sign your name and the easiest way to do this is to have a rubber stamp made of your signature. It will be recognised by English law as legal and valid and is acceptable everywhere, shops, restaurants, hotels, finance companies, etc.

A local rubber stamp supplier will make one up for you in about a week at a cost of £20-£25. This might seem a bit expensive, but of course the stamp will last a lifetime.

A better idea is to order one over the internet as I did. It arrived within two days of the company receiving my scanned signature by e-mail attachment and it cost just £10.52.

It’s proper name is a Redi Self-Inking Plastic Stamp, (I got a Redi30 size but a Redi20 would have been big enough for my signature). It is light and simple to use; just click the bottom off, press down and hey presto, one perfect signature every time. The ink pad is inbuilt and will deliver a thousand imprints (replacement cost is only £1.85).

If your disability prevents you from producing a legible signature then you could either draw it on a computer or make one up from a fancy script font. Alternatively, you could get a trusted relative or friend to create a specimen signature just for you.

Once you have a signature stamp you must of course keep it in a safe place, separate from your cheque book and credit card.