Guidance

Short-term options for health, welfare and financial decisions

Find out about the ways people can make certain decisions for you or do certain things on your behalf

You may want to put something in place while you wait for your LPA. This is so people can make certain decisions for you or do certain things on your behalf if you are self-isolating.

Like an LPA, you can only make any of the things below while you have mental capacity.

Write down your wishes

Write down what you want to have happen about your future health and welfare or your property and financial affairs. Talk to your family and friends about this document and make sure they know where it is kept. However, it is not legally binding.

Property and finance decisions

If you are taking measures to protect yourself, there are ways you can allow someone else to manage your property and financial affairs.

Third party mandate

A third party mandate means you allow someone else to make bank transactions for you. Speak to your bank or building society for more details.

General power of attorney

With a general power of attorney, you authorise someone to manage your financial affairs or do certain things on your behalf. It can only be used while you have the mental capacity to tell them what to do. Contact your local local Citizens Advice or a solicitor for more details.

Health and Welfare decisions

Recording your wishes for your future treatment and care is called ‘advance care planning’ and as well as an LPA can include an advance decision and advance statement.

Advance decision

An advance decision is a decision you make now to refuse a specific type of treatment at some time in the future. If it meets certain requirements, an advance decision is legally binding.

Advance statement

You can write an advance statement to set down your preferences, wishes, beliefs and values regarding your future care. It is not legally binding, but anyone making decisions about your care must take it into account.

If you lose mental capacity

If you lose mental capacity and do not have an LPA, the law (Mental Capacity Act 2005) says that the people looking after you must still:

  • make decisions that are in your best interests
  • try to find out your past and present wishes, views, beliefs and values
  • consider the views of anyone else who is interested in your welfare, for example your family and close friends

If someone, such as a family member or close friend, needs specific authority to make decisions for you, they can apply to the Court of Protection to become your ‘deputy’. It normally takes several months for the court to grant a deputy court order. Find out more about deputyships.

Published 17 April 2020
Last updated 21 December 2021 + show all updates
  1. Updating guidance to reflect new information on how to prevent omicron spread.

  2. Amending the Welsh text to reflect changes to government guidelines on 19 July

  3. updating guidance to meet with current announcements including information on self isolation and pandemic measures

  4. Changing the time taken to register an LPA from 8 weeks to 20 weeks

  5. Editing the wording so as not to discourage people from taking out an LPA at the minute

  6. Adding Welsh language version

  7. First published.