Posts tagged “Office of the Public Guardian”

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LPA reforms to go ahead

Posted on 11th January 2024
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) are important if you’re ever in a position where you can’t make decisions for yourself. They allow you to choose people you trust to make decisions about your finances and care on your behalf. 
 
LPAs are a good idea for people of all ages, not just the elderly. However, the process is currently paper-based and slow. 
The government at Westminster has approved a new Act for Lasting Powers of Attorney.
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Changes to the Lasting Power of Attorney process

Posted on 18th August 2021
A laptop with the government's online application page for Lasting Powers of Attorney
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) help to protect you, your family, and your loved ones if you are unable to make decisions for yourself temporarily or in the longer term. 
 
The current process to create and register your LPAs is largely paper-based and very detailed. This is one of the reasons why only 14% of British people have LPAs in place. 
 
The government has now launched a consultation about the use of technology to reform the LPA process, improve access, and speed up the service. 
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What Claudia’s law means when someone is missing

Posted on 27th April 2021
Claudia Lawrence, a chef at York University, went missing in 2009. In these circumstances the rule is that someone will be presumed dead when they have been missing for seven or more years. 
 
Claudia’s father, Peter, Kevin Hollinrake MP, and the charity Missing People, campaigned for this rule to be changed. They argued that the family and friends of a missing person should be able to deal with their property and financial affairs before seven years have passed. 
booklet with the title 'wish you were here' re Claudia's law
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Why mental capacity is important

Posted on 9th March 2021
Having mental capacity is one of the conditions that you must meet for your Will to be valid. This means you must be able to understand and retain information for long enough to weigh it up and make a decision. You must also be able to communicate the decision you have made. 
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LPAs to keep your pension savings safe

Posted on 17th July 2020
Recent freedoms for people with pension savings provide more choice about how they can be used. 
 
If you are looking for a guaranteed income for life you can still buy an annuity. If you want more flexibility, you could take a cash lump sum and manage the rest of your savings throughout your retirement. 
 
There’s even free PensionWise guidance from the government if you’re over 50, to help you make good decisions, depending on your circumstances 
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You could be due a refund on your LPA fees

Posted on 19th April 2019
Up to a million people could be owed refunds on their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) fees. 
 
Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) overcharged for LPA applications. 
 
A year ago the Ministry of Justice started to give refunds to people who had applied for LPAs between 2013 and 2017. 
 
Up to 1 February this year 194,713 claimants had received refunds of more than £12m. However, it’s estimated that 800,000 people could still be eligible to claim. 
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