Brand new online tool for LPAs!
Clive Ponder TEP
Director of CTT Group, Founder Owner and Director of Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation Ltd, CTT Accountancy and CTT Law (SRA regulated firm and a Strategic Partner of CTT Group)
On Friday 17th July, the OPG announced that they have been working behind the scenes to modernise the Lasting Power of Attorney process and have launched a new online tool to make it quicker and easier for attorneys to use an LPA to support the donor.
What does this new tool do?
Once an LPA is registered, attorneys and donors will be sent an activation key. They are then able to create an online account and use the activation key to make an access code, which they are able to provide to organisations to view an online summary of an LPA.
By allowing attorneys to submit the code to the online portal, this will nearly instantaneously confirm their status as an attorney and allow them to take actions on their loved one’s behalf and provide
Who can use this service?
Attorneys and donors with LPAs registered from 17 July 2020 will be able to use the online service. The OPG also has plans to open up the service to LPAs registered earlier in 2020 and some from 2019, but have not yet released a date for this.
By replacing the paper-based process, which can take weeks due to documents being requested and copies needing to be posted, this means that the speed in which decisions can be made will be drastically quicker.
Despite these changes, existing checks such as confirming whether a person has the legal right to act as an attorney and the powers they hold will remain firmly in place, ensuring that the vulnerable and elderly are still protected from the abuse of a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Nick Goodwin, Public Guardian for England and Wales, said:
“More people are taking the important step to plan for the future and apply for a Lasting Power of Attorney, and we want to make sure those they entrust with making vital decisions on their behalf receive the very best possible support.
“Our new digital service will ensure attorneys can make effective and efficient decisions when managing their loved ones’ affairs – without the delays a paper-based services can cause.
“But this is just one part of our ambitious transformation programme and we are constantly looking at how we can improve as an organisation to benefit the public and our partners.”
What's coming next?
The OPG has stated that this is only step one in part of a wider transformation to come. As a company, we are strong advocates for utilising technology to its fullest potential and its many associated benefits, and so are ready and waiting for an entirely paperless LPA process.