Refunds for Power of Attorney Fees

It is not often that solicitors write about refunds but we have good news for anyone who applied to register a power of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.

It is not often that solicitors write about refunds but we have good news for anyone who applied to register a power of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017. The Office of the Public Guardian (“the OPG”) announced last week that refunds are being offered to those who may have been charged more than was necessary when making their application.

The refund opportunity has come about because the Office of the Public Guardian’s operating costs came down considerably from April 2013 as more people applied to register a power of attorney. As a result, the process became more efficient, but the application fee charged remained the same which was deemed not to have been fair by the Ministry of Justice, who have approved the refund scheme.

The refund system has been set up on line and can be accessed directly by the public so there is no need to revert back to the advisors who may have helped in the preparation of your power of attorney.

You can find full details of how to make your application at www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund. The system has been designed to be user friendly and efficient.  Even if you have more than one power of attorney, you will only need to complete one form.

A dedicated refunds service helpline has also been set up and you can contact the OPG’s contact centre on 0300 456 0300 and select option 6 to be put through to the refunds team.

If you are still considering making a Lasting Power of Attorney, or would like to discuss the options, there has never been a better time to do so and a member of our team will be happy to help. For more information please contact a member of the Succession and Tax Team.