05/02/2018
If you applied to register a power of attorney in England or Wales between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017, you are entitled to claim back part of your application fee.
The fee was reduced from £110 to £82 in April 2017 leading to the Ministry of Justice agreeing to refund the excess to anyone who made either a lasting power of attorney or an enduring power of attorney during that time.
The rebate can only be claimed by the ‘donor’ – the person who made the power of attorney – or an ‘attorney’ – someone appointed by the donor in an LPA or EPA. It only takes 10 minutes to make the claim online and you only need to make one claim even if you made more than one power of attorney.
The level of refund you receive depends on when you paid the fees:
• April-Sept 2013 £54
• Oct 2013-March 2014 £34
• April 2014-March 2015 £37
• April 2015-March 2016 £38
• April 2016-March 2017 £45
To find out more and make your claim, visit https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund
A lasting power of attorney sets out who you want to make decisions on your behalf should you be unable to do so yourself. I would strongly advise creating an LPA to ensure your affairs are dealt with by someone you trust and to reduce the possibility of family disputes. If you haven’t yet made your LPA, fill in our online enquiry form, email me direct at david.birchall@beswicks.com or phone me on 01782 205000.