We reported back in July 2017 that the Office of the Public Guardian would be making partial refunds to people who had paid to register their Lasting Powers of Attorney between the 1st April 2013 and the 31st March 2017. This was due to the Office of the Public Guardian making savings on their operating costs which weren’t passed onto the public at that time.
The Office of the Public Guardian have now announced that either the donor of the power or their appointed attorney can make the application for a refund. Full details can be found on the Government website https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund but applications can be made online or by telephoning the Office of the Public Guardian on 0300 456 0300 (choose option 6).
What Might I Be Entitled To?
How much you get will depend on when you paid the fee. You will also be entitled to 0.5% interest on the sum due.
| When you paid the fee | Refund for each power of attorney |
| April to September 2013 | £54 |
| October 2013 to March 2014 | £34 |
| April 2014 to March 2015 | £37 |
| April 2015 to March 2016 | £38 |
| April 2016 to March 2017 | £45 |
You’ll be entitled to half the refund if you paid a reduced fee.
The Office of the Public Guardian has estimated there will be some £89 million pounds to be refunded, so they are estimating it will take up to 12 weeks to process the refunds.
Finally, if the donor of the power has since passed away, a refund can still be claimed.
For further information, please contact us on 01543 440 308.