Lasting Powers of Attorney - Freephone 0800 0352 781 Home Visits throughout England and Wales for no additional fee

The OPG (not Steele Rose) may charge an additional administration fee of up to a maximum of £130 if registration is required, based upon  the Donor's income and any associated fee remission or exemption. 

You are eligible for an exemption of the OPG fee if you receive any of the following means-tested benefits and you have not been awarded damages of more than £16,000, which were disregarded when determining eligibility for the benefit:

• Income Support;

• Income based Employment and Support Allowance;

• Income-based Job-Seeker’s Allowance;

• Pension Guarantee Credit element of State Pension Credit (you will not be eligible if this is calculated as nil);

• A combination of Working Tax Credit and either Child Tax Credit, Disability Element Working Tax Credit or Severe Disability Element (within the Working Tax Credit). This does not include Disability Living Allowance or Invalidity Benefit;

• Housing Benefit; or Council Tax Benefit (not the 25% single person reduction);

• Local Housing Allowance.

The request must be accompanied by supporting evidence in the form of an official letter or entitlement notice from the appropriate benefit provider dated no more than 3 months old. It must contain your title, full name, address and postcode and confirm current receipt of benefit.

If the appropriate evidence is not provided, your application will be refused and the full fee will be payable.

OPG FEE REMISSIONS

From 1 October 2011 there is a new Fee Remissions policy of 50% (£65) for those who have a gross income of up to £12,000. Partial remissions will no longer apply.

OPG Official News

The OPG has now published changes to its fees which will be implemented from the 1 October 2011.

The changes are as follows:

-An increase in the LPA/EPA Application to Register fee from £120 to £130.

-The introduction of a new 'Repeat Application Fee' of £65 each time an LPA is resubmitted to the OPG within 3 months of the invalid application being sent back to the applicant.

-The cessation of the production of LPA office copies by the OPG, except in extreme and limited circumstances, and for a fee of £35. (See LPAs and Banks webpage for additional copies provided by Steele Rose).

-The removal of the Application to search the Registers fee.

-The introduction of a new Fee Remissions policy of 50% for those who have a gross income of up to £12,000.

-The renaming of a number of OPG Fees in order to make it clearer what they cover.

The Government's Response is available to view on the Ministry of Justice Website via the below link:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-CP16-10.htm

Whilst we understand that fee rises are never easy to bear, the OPG fee policy needs to reflect the economic climate in which we find ourselves. We believe that these changes are both fair and equitable whilst remaining proportionate to the services being provided.

Moreover, given the increasing workload (with estimated LPA application numbers at over 166,000 this year, up on 126,000 last year), we need to look at the funding model for the OPG to ensure that going forward, it is in a position to be truly 100% fee funded and able to cover all current and future aspects of its business from fee revenue.