What is happening?
Refunds are being offered to all of those those who may have been charged more than was necessary to apply to register lasting or enduring powers of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.
Why is it happening?
The refunds are being offered as between these dates, the Office of the Public Guardian’s costs came down as more people applied to register a power of attorney making the process more efficient. However, the application fee charged was not reduced in line with these changes.
How do I get a refund?
It is easy and quick to use the online service, you only need to complete one short form online, which you can find here. Office of the Public Guardian will find all power of attorney application fees paid by the donor during the qualifying period and refund accordingly.
It takes about 10 minutes to claim online. Before you claim you’ll need:
* The donor’s UK bank account number and sort code
* A copy of the LPA (if you have it)
Full guidance for those applying is available online, and there is a dedicated refunds service helpline for those who need it. Call OPG’s contact centre on 0300 456 0300 and select option 6 to be put through to the refunds team. Lines are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 5pm and Wednesday from 10am to 5pm.
Who can claim?
You can make a claim if you’re:
* The ‘donor’ – the person who made the power of attorney
* An ‘attorney’ – appointed by the donor in an LPA or EPA to make decisions on their behalf
If you were appointed as a replacement attorney, you can only claim when you’ve been formally appointed as an attorney and are now able to make decisions on the donor’s behalf.
The refund must be paid to the donor.
You only need to make one claim per donor, even if you made more than one power of attorney.
How much will I get?
You’ll get half the refund if you paid a reduced fee (‘remission’). You will also receive 0.5% interest on top of the above amounts.
| When you paid | Refund for each POA |
|---|---|
| April to September 2013 | £54 |
| Oct 2013 – March 2014 | £34 |
| April 2014 to March 2015 | £37 |
| April 2015 to March 2016 | £38 |
| April 2016 to March 2017 | £45 |
How long will it take?
It takes up to 12 weeks for your claim to be processed. If your claim is approved, the refund will be paid to the donor’s bank account. You can appeal a decision if your claim is rejected.
If you haven’t sorted a Lasting Power Of Attorney, the Unforgettable LPA service is dementia friendly and offers a peace of mind checking service. Visit Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
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