Ben Tyer in Moneywise.co.uk - Lasting power of attorney refund scheme launched: You could be due £108

This is an extract from an article at Moneywise.co.uk about a new refund scheme launched for those who have made a Lasting Power of Attorney.

Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017 the application process became more efficient and cost savings made by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) were not passed on to consumers in the form of lower fees.

Ben Tyer, a private client solicitor at GLP Solicitors explains: "The Office of the Public Guardian for England and Wales – the public body that records lasting powers of attorney - is only supposed to charge fees so as to recover its operational costs. Yet up until April 2017 it charged a £110 fee to register an LPA and due to a surge in registrations coupled with increasing efficiencies it is estimated to have collected in an £89 million surplus. As a result, those who applied to register their LPAs since 2013 paid too much and are entitled to a partial refund."

He adds: "The OPG reduced the fees for applying to register LPAs (and enduring power of attorneys) from £110 to £82 in April 2017. And it aims to increase the number of people making LPAs next year so it is a possibility the fee could come down further."

How to claim

Claims can be made easily using an online claim form on Gov.uk. These can be made by the donor who set up the lasting power of attorney or any attorney appointed by the donor.