Anyone who has registered a Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2017, and who may have been over-charged in the process, could be entitled to a partial refund, on request, of the registration fee under a new scheme launched by the Ministry of Justice. The Court fee had been £110 since October 2013 but reduced to £82 in April 2017.
The Office of the Public Guardian’s 2016/17 annual report announced that the fees being charged for the registration of Powers of Attorney, prior to the reduction in fees in April 2017, were above the operational costs of delivering the service. This was due to the OPG carrying out its role more efficiently and an increase in the number of applications. As a government body, the OPG is not permitted to make a profit and must, therefore, refund applicants for the period involved.
Details of the refunds available and how to claim can be found here. Alternatively, please get in touch if you would like Buckles to claim the refund on your behalf, which would be subject to an administrative charge of 10% of the amount repaid which Buckles will then donate to charity.
