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<p>The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is facing high demand to register Lasting
Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications, including overcoming a backlog created during
the pandemic. OPG is advising customers that the processing time for LPA applications
is currently up to 20 weeks, including the statutory four-week waiting period.</p><p>
</p><p>Delays in processing LPAs have not led to any increased fee for customers who
make an LPA application. OPG aims to achieve 100% cost recovery every year. In 2018/19
and 2019/20, OPG achieved 100.7% cost recovery. If full cost recovery is not achieved,
then OPG’s costs are underwritten by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). In the past few
years full cost recovery has not been achieved, driven by low demand for LPAs during
the pandemic. In 2020/21, MoJ provided £18.9m of taxpayer funds, and £9.16m in 2021/22.
This financial position is improving and OPG is waiting for the audit to be concluded
for financial year 2022/23, which will be published in due course in the OPG annual
report.</p><p> </p><p>The Government fully understands that delays in registering
and dispatching LPA applications are frustrating for customers. To return to processing
times achieved before the pandemic, extra staff have been hired, staff are working
overtime and across multiple shift patterns, and process efficiencies have been introduced.
The government is also supporting the Powers of Attorney Bill sponsored by Stephen
Metcalfe MP. The Bill will enable modernisation of the process for making and registering
an LPA, bringing in a new digital channel and improving the paper one. This will create
a faster and simpler service for customers and make the system more resilient to future
disruption.</p>
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