Claim your refund on power of attorney applications
The UK government is offering a refund of up to £54 to individuals who have previously applied to register a power of attorney.
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that gives trusted appointees the ability to make decisions on the behalf of someone no longer able to do so, such as following a serious accident or illness. The refund is being offered to those who have applied for both lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.
A difference between a LPA and the EPA is that the latter has wider powers to make financial decisions as well as decisions concerning the donor’s personal welfare.
The refunds are being offered on the basis that the operating costs of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) came down over this period, due to an increase in the number of applicants, while the fee itself stayed the same.
Charles Stanley Chartered Financial Planner, Anne McClean, says: “It’s not often the government offers you money back so anyone in a position to claim should take full advantage of this rare opportunity!
“A lasting power of attorney is on a par with a will, in terms of importance, but it is too often overlooked as it can be a difficult conversation to have. It is also wrongly associated with older people when it can also prove invaluable for the loved ones of any individual, for example, in the event of a serious accident.
“Establishing checks and balances is always important so you may wish to consider appointing more than one attorney.”
The application fee for registering a power of attorney was reduced from £110 to £82 in April 2017 and the refund scheme has been launched for those who paid a higher fee in the qualifying period.
The size of the refund depends on when the fees were paid but successful applicants will also receive 0.5% interest. A maximum of £54 can be claimed for those who applied between April and September 2013.
One form needs to be completed for each donor and the OPG will find all power of attorney application fees paid by the donor during the qualifying period.
You can claim a power of attorney refund online here.
| When you paid the fee | Refund for each power of attorney |
| April to September 2013 | £54 |
| October 2013 to March 2014 | £34 |
| April 2014 to March 2015 | £37 |
| April 2015 to March 2016 | £38 |
| April 2016 to March 2017 | £45 |
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