Sharing Lasting Power of Attorney Online
Published / Last Updated on 28/10/2022
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) are where you give people or family power to look after and make your decisions on your behalf for your health or finances should you be unable to due to physical or mental incapacity.
There are two types of LPA:
- Health and Welfare
- Property and Financial Affairs
or as we call them ‘health’ and ‘wealth’.
Complete LPA and Certify
You must complete the LPA forms (paper or online) when you are of sound mind, naming/appointing people that you would like to look after your affairs and give them general powers or specific powers when looking after your affairs and then have a ‘Certificate Provider’ e.g., your financial adviser, your solicitor or your doctor, to certify that you have made these decisions and appointments of your own free will and are not under any duress or pressure to do so.
Register LPA with Office of the Public Guardian
In England and Wales, your LPAs must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), part of the Court of Protection. You pay a fee to the OPG to register each LPA although if you have lower income or are on benefits, these fees may be waived. The OPG will check that all is on order and then the LPAs are registered as ‘live’ with the OPG. The OPG will then issue:
- The original paper copy for each of your LPAs if more than one. You can then keep it or give it to your appointed attorneys
- An LPA reference number.
- An Activation Key.
Organisations Wanting Proof of LPA
For obvious reasons, your bankers, insurers, mortgage company, your doctors etc., will want to see a copy of any LPA before they will allow someone else to act for you. Before July 2020, there was only the original paper copy of the LPA that could be used but now they are available online.
LPA Summary Online – Activation Key
- After 17/07/2020, new LPAs are automatically issued an activation key by the OPG. Your can then share this with interested parties so that they can access and view your LPA summary online to allow an Attorney to handle your affairs.
- After 01/01/2016 – all LPAs issued after this date can request an activation key or replacement key to allow access to the LPA summary.
- Before 01/01/2016 – any LPAs issued before this date can currently only use paper LPAs still with no online access.
What’s in Your LPA Summary Online?
- Allow people or organisations to view a summary of your LPA.
- You can keep track of which people or organisations have been given access to your LPA.
- View your LPA summary.
- See how people named on the LPA are using the service.
- Request an activation key if you have not been issued one.
- Replace your activation key if yours is lost or expired.
This is a very similar system to sharing your Driving Licence details if you need to hire a car or test drive, get motor insurance, or prove that what points or endorsements you have on your licence, if any.
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