LPA Registration Fee England & Wales (2019)

The LPA registration fee is the fee payable to the UK government to apply for the lasting power of attorney.

LPA fees payable to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are £82 per application. Note that there are two types of LPA, so if you want to register a property and financial affairs LPA with a health and welfare LPA, the total LPA fees will be £164. These fees are not payable immediately, only when the application has been received and the registration period has begun.

However, the donor may be entitled to an exemption or reduction to the LPA fees above. The donor is the person who wishes to give authority to individuals.

Donors entitled to exemption pay no fees to the Office of the Public Guardian. The OPG also offer a reduction, known as ‘remission’, which reduces the cost of each lasting power of attorney by 50%.

LPA fee exemption

The donor must prove that he/she is in receipt of the following means-tested benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Guarantee Credit element of State Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction/Support – also known by other names (not the 25% single person discount or the Class U exemption)
• Local Housing Allowance
• A combination of Working Tax Credit and at least one of:
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Disability Element of Working Tax Credit
  • Severe Disability Element of Working Tax Credit.

Not included: Disability Living Allowance, Invalidity Benefit, Personal Independence Payment.

If the donor has been awarded personal injury damages of more than £16,000, which were ignored when they were assessed for one of the above benefits, the donor will not be eligible for the exemption.

The donor, or an attorney, must provide supporting evidence in the form of copies of letters from a benefit provider. An attorney is a person you appoint to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.

The supporting evidence must show that the donor is receiving at least one of the benefits above. Letters must confirm that the benefit is being paid to the donor and must include printed details of his/her title, full name, address and postcode.

LPA fee remission

If his/her gross annual income is less than £12,000, the donor might qualify for a 50% reduction of the application fee and pay only £41.00 for each application.

Gross annual income is income before tax. It can include many sources, such as the following:

• Employment
• Pensions
• Pensions Savings Credit
• Interest from savings and investments
• Rental income from property

The following non-means-tested benefits can also be included:

• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment

The donor or attorney will need to provide proof of the donor’s gross annual income with the LPA registration. Evidence can be any of the following:

• For paid employment: AP60 or 3 months consecutive wage slips from the donor’s current job
• For non-means-tested benefits and pensions: An official letter or notice from the payer
• For interest from capital, stocks, shares or bonds: Statements or vouchers showing gross income
• For self-employment: The most recent self-assessment tax return and HMRC tax calculation, or audited accounts certified by a qualified accountant.

If the donor receives no income, he/she must provide a signed statement explaining how they support themselves financially.

A donor may also qualify for remission if he/she receives Universal Credit. Again, the donor or attorney must provide evidence when making the LPA registration.

How to apply for an exemption or reduction

When you complete our questionnaire, we’ll ask you a few simple questions about income and benefits. We’ll use your answers to confirm whether the donor qualifies for an exemption or reduction to the LPA fees.

We’ll need you to provide the evidence of income or benefits when you return your LPA forms.

Payment

The donor or attorney will need to pay the LPA registration fee directly to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). The OPG will contact whoever is applying for the LPA to take the payment.

Registration fees are non-refundable, even if the OPG reject your registration due to errors in your application. However, our service guarantees that your LPA forms will be accepted.

Next Steps

If still have questions, call our Freephone support number 0800 012 2074 where our dedicated team will answer any query that you may have.

If you’re ready to get started you can use our online questionnaire right now, or book a telephone call.