WIREDGOV

Appointing someone you trust to make key decisions for you if you lose mental capacity will be £20 cheaper from today, Justice Minister Helen Grant has announced. The Government has reduced the application fees for registering both Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) from £130 to £110, as of 1 October 2013.

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.’

Public Guardian Alan Eccles said:

‘More and more people are making the important decision to apply for a lasting power of attorney and it is right they receive the best possible service. We are making great strides with our transformation programme and innovations like our online tool are making the process simpler, clearer and faster for applicants – as well as cheaper. But we are not resting on our laurels, we are continually looking for further improvements and will soon be consulting on our next steps, including a fully digital process for creating and registering Lasting Powers of Attorney.’

The fee covers the costs to the OPG of maintaining the register of LPA and EPAs.

Notes to editors