News story

LPA form transition period finishes in January

There will be some important changes to lasting power of attorney (LPA) forms and the LPA digital service in the new year.

From:
Office of the Public Guardian
Published
8 December 2015

On 1 July 2015, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) introduced simpler and clearer lasting power of attorney forms for both property and financial affairs LPAs and health and welfare LPAs.

We’ve been accepting both the old and new versions of LPA forms since then to help make the transition easier.

Transition information

If old LPA forms have been completed, signed and dated correctly by 1 January 2016, you can still register them at any time providing they have been made correctly.

If an LPA made using the old forms has not been completed, signed and dated by 1 January 2016, you won’t be able to register it.

OPG is not changing enduring power of attorney (EPA) forms at this time. You will still be able to register EPAs after the introduction of the new LPA forms.

Changes to the LPA digital service

We’ll be making some changes to our digital service in January, too. If you want to use an LPA made on the service before 1 July 2015, you’ll need to print and sign it before 1 January 2016. Otherwise, your application will be deleted and you’ll need to restart your application. This doesn’t affect your account with us.

Notes to editors

  1. OPG introduced new LPA forms in July 2015 in response to the consultation ‘Transforming the services of the Office of the Public Guardian- enabling digital by default’.
  2. The number of applications for lasting powers of attorney has increased significantly in recent years. 242,000 were registered in 2012 to 2013, 295,000 in 2013 to 2014 and 394,000 in 2014 to 2015.
  3. More information about OPG, including forms and details about lasting powers of attorney, can be found on GOV.UK.
  4. New LPA forms and supporting guidance have been available on GOV.UK since 1 July 2015.
  5. The LPA digital service went live in May 2014, the first government exemplar that had passed the Digital by Default service standard to go live.
  6. OPG has developed brief guides to explain what’s involved in being an attorney under an LPA.
  7. For more information, call the Ministry of Justice press office on 020 3334 3536. Follow us on twitter @MoJGovUK.
Published 8 December 2015

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