It was announced on 20th July that the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will be refunding some £89 million in “excessive” Power of Attorney registration fees for applications dating back as far as 2013.
On 1st April 2017, the OPG reduced the registration fee to £82 from £110. They claimed that an increase in the number of applications, together with greater efficiency in processing applications, meant a lower fee could now be charged. Government agencies are not permitted to run at a profit without legislative authority. During a recent review, the Ministry of Justice stated that the earlier fees charged meant that the OPG were running at a profit and these additional fees were not permitted. Those additional fees are to be refunded.
The OPG will shortly announce how it plans to administer the refunds to individuals who registered a Lasting Power of Attorney between 2013 and 31st March 2017. We will update you as and when we have further information.