Reduction in Enduring Power of Attorney Fees

The cost of appointing someone to manage your affairs in the event that you can no longer do so has just become a bit cheaper. As of the 1st October the fee for registering both Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) dropped by £20 from £130 to £110.

LPAs and EPAs are legal documents which allow the applicant to appoint someone they know and trust to make decisions about their health and welfare or financial affairs if they were to lose capacity in the future.

The fee reduction has been made possible by the success of a transformation programme carried out by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), which manages the LPA and EPA schemes. The work includes the introduction of new technology, more efficient processes and the recent launch of an innovative digital application tool. This has enabled the fee to be reduced to the lowest rate since LPAs were introduced in 2007.

Justice Minister Helen Grant said:

‘It is really important that everybody considers making a Lasting Power of Attorney – it means that as they get older, or if they have issues with their health, they have the peace of mind from knowing that if they ever lost capacity the important decisions about their life will be taken by someone they know and trust.

‘The Government is committed to taking bold action and reforming the public sector. As a result of the OPG transformation programme we have been able to reduce the fees, which will encourage more people to plan ahead for the future and help anyone applying with the cost of living during these difficult times.’

To find out more about lasting powers of attorney go to www.gov.uk/power-of-attorneyand to use the new lasting power of attorney digital tool go to www.gov.uk/lasting-power-of-attorney