On April 1 2017 the fees for applying to register Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) were reduced from the current fee of £110.00 to £82.00.

The Office of the Public Guardian says that it has been able to reduce the fee for two reasons.

Firstly, there has been an increase in the number of people making applications for Lasting Powers of Attorney and this increase in numbers means the registration fees now exceed the cost of providing the service.

Secondly, The Office of the Public Guardian says that the increased numbers of applications has forced it to become more efficient in the way it deals with applications for Lasting Powers of Attorney and the resulting savings in processing costs has meant it can reduce its fees.

It is hoped that by reducing the fees, more people than ever will be encouraged to take out Lasting Powers of Attorney. This would be a good thing because it would bring peace of mind and certainty to individuals and their families who would no longer have to worry about what would happen if at some time in the future, they lacked mental capacity and could not make decisions for themselves about their finances or health care.

To avoid any confusion the Office of the Public Guardian has issued a statement confirming that for those people who recently submitted an application for a Lasting Power of Attorney and paid the fee of £110.00 after the 1 April 2017, the difference between the old and the new fee will be refunded to them.

Where a Solicitor has made the application on behalf of the applicant, that Solicitor will be notified that an overpayment has been made and a refund will be sent by the Office of the Public Guardian directly to the applicant’s bank account.

If you have a question for Maxine, she can be contacted at:

T: 01943 609969 or
E: msh@walkerfoster.com