Partner Jonathan Gater, in our leading Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts team, explains the Government's announcement that anyone who registered either a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017 is entitled to claim a refund.
The fees charged by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) that deals with registration of powers of attorney are supposed to cover its operating costs. However, during this period the fee was higher than necessary and so the OPG generated a ‘profit’. From 1 April 2017 the registration fee has been reduced.
The amount of the refund will depend on when the power of attorney was registered, but will be between £45 and £54.
A claim can be made by either the person who made the LPA or the attorney acting under either an LPA or EPA by clicking here or by calling the Refunds Helpline on 0300 456 0300. If the claim is accepted it will take about 12 weeks for the refund to be processed.
For further information or legal advice, please contact law@blandy.co.uk or call 0118 951 6800.
This article is intended for the use of clients and other interested parties. The information contained in it is believed to be correct at the date of publication, but it is necessarily of a brief and general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific professional advice.
