Did you register an enduring or lasting power of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017?

The Ministry of Justice has announced that refunds are being offered to those who have registered either enduring or lasting powers of attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.

During this period the Office of the Public Guardian’s administrative costs have reduced due to internal efficiencies. As a consequence those registering enduring or lasting powers of attorney have been charged more than was necessary to apply for registration. The expected total of refunds due is approximately £89 million.

The Ministry of Justice has now launched a refund scheme for applications for the refunds to be made, which requires either the donor, attorney or the personal representatives of an estate to complete a claim via an online service (https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund).

The refund that is payable will depend on the date that the fees were paid. Interest at 0.5% will also be paid for any successful claims. The following refunds are available although these may be reduced by half if the fee paid was at a reduced rate or remission:

The claim process takes approximately 10 minutes and you will be asked as part of the process to provide a UK bank account for payment of the refund. The application can also be made by telephone where a person does not have a UK bank account, has passed away or has difficulty using a computer.