Have you registered a Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney in the last four years? You could be due a refund in respect of the registration fee.
The Office of the Public Guardian (“OPG”) has admitted to charging excessive fees.
A recent report prepared by the OPG highlights that the fees being charged to register Lasting and Enduring Powers of Attorney, prior to the fee reduction in April this year, were above the operational cost of delivering this service.
The OPG have said that this was due to increased volumes of applications, together with increasing efficiencies in the way they operate.
The registration fee for registering Lasting and Enduring Powers of Attorney has since been reduced from £110.00 to £82.00. Alongside the reduction in fees, the Ministry of Justice will be introducing a scheme to refund a portion of the registration fee to customers who have paid more than they should have in the last four years. Further details will be published in due course but the many thousands of customers who were overcharged will be refunded during the current financial year and the amount owed is expected to be in the region of £89 million.
We will be keeping a close eye on this development. If you have any questions, or want to discuss your Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney, we have an experienced team of lawyers who advise on, prepare and register these documents on a regular basis and who would be happy to help. Please contact us on 01630 652405.