Partner Caroline Casagranda, in our leading Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts team, highlights the new online system designed to help those acting as an attorney in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs).
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has unveiled a new digital service to help people acting as an attorney in England and Wales prove their status to banks, healthcare providers and other interested organisations.
For Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) registered after 17 July 2020, attorneys and donors will be provided with an activation “key” by the OPG, allowing them to create an online account and to add the details of any relevant LPAs. The system will then create an access code, which can be provided to any relevant organisation, such as a bank, building society or healthcare provider, which they can use to view an online summary of the LPA and to check the attorney’s authority to act.
The new system should allow for quicker confirmation of the rights of attorneys to act on behalf of vulnerable donors, whilst retaining appropriate safeguards for the donor.
Currently, the system is only available in relation to LPAs registered on or after 17 July 2020, but the OPG has stated an aim to extend this to all LPAs registered in 2020 and some in 2019 as soon as possible. At present, there appears to be no intention to extend the service to LPAs registered before 2019.
More information regarding the new online system may be found via the gov.uk website.
Whilst this new system should hopefully lead to a more streamlined and efficient service from the OPG, it remains important to ensure that your LPA is drafted and registered correctly.
If you would like to discuss making an LPA, our specialist Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts team can help. Please also see our page featuring further information on Lasting Powers of Attorney.
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.
