Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) claims took 15 weeks to process last year.

 

 

New Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) claims took an average of 76 working days, or 15 weeks, to process during the 2023/24 financial year.

However, some people were left waiting considerably longer, with one application ultimately taking 2,777 working days (more than 10 years) to finalise.

The figures were released following a freedom of information request by wealth management firm Quilter. They show reality is often falling short of the Office of the Public Guardian’s (OPG) targets for processing LPAs, which are currently set at 40 working days (eight weeks).

Mark Williams of Amba Legal Services, said:

“It’s not uncommon for applicants to wait years for their LPA registrations to be approved. Often the reason is that errors have been made by people choosing to apply themselves rather than through a professional firm. And if the application was via post, it builds in lengthy delays in correcting the errors.”

He went on to say: 

“Because LPAs can only be drafted whilst you still have mental capacity it is vitally important to ensure the application is mistake-free so that it can be registered as soon as possible. So, for further advice regarding Lasting Power of Attorney applications, call Amba Legal Services on 01299 251442.”