Power Of Attorney Refund: Are You Eligible?
Sophie Fenn, Associate Solicitor in our Private Client Team is backing a call from The Solicitors for the Elderly Group to urge people to check their eligibility for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) fee refund, after almost two million people were overcharged by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) between 2013 and 2017.
Claimants can expect to receive a refund of up to £54, with any accrued interested since the registration was made.
So far, only 200,000 of the 1.8million people owed have claimed their refund, meaning that there’s £77million still owed to customers.
To apply for a refund visit: http://gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund. The exact amount will depend on when the registration was made, and claims must be made by 1st February 2021.
An LPA is an important document that gives a loved one the power to make decisions on your behalf when you can no longer do so. There are two types of LPA: a health and welfare LPA, and a property and financial affairs LPA.
Recent research from SFE found that there are only 7% of LPAs in place across the UK, meaning that millions of people are currently unprepared for later life. SFE urges anyone planning for their future to consider setting up an LPA and seek advice from a specialist lawyer.
Sophie Fenn said:
“It takes about ten minutes to claim online. You’ll need the donor’s bank details and a copy of the LPA, if you have it. If you need help or more information about making a claim, there’s a Refunds Helpline you can contact, either via telephone on 0300 456 0300 or email [email protected].”
If you do not have a LPA but are interested in preparing one please contact Sophie Fenn, Associate Solicitor at The Wilkes Partnership, Solihull on 0121 733 8000 or [email protected]
