Claim back fees paid for Lasting Powers of Attorney

Did you make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017?

If so you may be entitled to a refund of £54 for each LPA instrument registered.  Earlier this month, the Ministry of Justice announced that it will be making a partial refund of fees plus interest for each LPA registered between those dates.  As odd as it sounds, that’s correct the Government is actually offering money back as they have concluded that they overcharged for registration of LPAs in the past.

How do you claim your refund?

It’s a simple and free process.  There is an online claim form and more information can be found at www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund and you should not require assistance from a solicitor to complete.  If you cannot apply online you can call the Office of the Public Guardian on 0300 456 0300 and select option 6 for the refund helpline.

What if the donor has lost capacity or died?

If the donor no longer has capacity then an attorney can apply and if they have passed away their executor or administrator can apply for the refund.

If you haven’t made an LPA, why not?

An LPA can assist you greatly by appointing attorneys to help make decisions about either your finances and property or health and welfare when you cannot or don’t want to do so.  It can give you peace of mind that should you lose capacity entrusted individuals can make decisions for you and failure to make one can be very costly.

To discuss further, please contact our private client department for more information.