The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has launched a digital ‘Use a Lasting Power of Attorney’ tool to help make attorneyship administration simpler and safer for those involved.
Currently it is necessary for attorneys to pass a paper copy of the Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) to banks and other organisations. This can lead to delays and can be open to abuse. However the OPG’s new service will enable attorneys to contact banks and other organisations more efficiently, helping maintain safeguards used to protect the elderly and vulnerable.
Once the LPA has been registered with the OPG, the attorneys and the person who granted the LPA will be able to create an official online account giving organisations, such as banks and healthcare providers, access to view an online summary of the LPA. Chosen organisations can then view the relevant LPA information, check that the LPA is valid and who the attorneys are.
Currently this service is only be available for LPAs registered from 17 July 2020 onwards, but there are plans for the service to be extended to cover for LPAs registered earlier in 2020 and in 2019. No timescale for that extension has been mentioned as yet though.
Access the new online service from The Office of the Public Guardian here.
Digital Lasting Powers of Attorney
For any help putting in place an LPA, as well as amending a current one please contact our dedicated team, or for more information about powers of attorney read our latest insight.
