Lasting power of attorney, or LPA, applications continue to face significant delays, raising concerns for people trying to put legal protections in place.
Despite ongoing efforts to modernise the system, the Office of the Public Guardian, or OPG, is still struggling to meet its service targets. Many applicants are waiting far longer than expected for their documents to be registered, so let’s look at the current processing times and how to plan ahead and avoid last-minute applications.
Current processing times
During the 2023/24 financial year, LPA applications took an average of 76 working days, or around 15 weeks, to process. This was well beyond the OPG’s aim of handling applications within eight to ten weeks.
These extended delays affect both types of LPAs: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. For many families, such long waits can cause big issues, especially when the LPA is needed to support someone who is already unwell or facing declining capacity.
Many applicants now choose to make a power of attorney online through a company such as //powerofattorneyonline.co.uk to help avoid making errors and the delays caused by incorrect paperwork.
Why delays are occurring
A combination of factors has contributed to the backlog. Demand for LPAs has risen dramatically in the last couple of years. At the same time, the OPG has faced staffing and resource pressures, and the older paper-based systems are time-consuming to process.
Although digitisation efforts are underway, the transition has been gradual. Paper applications still make up a significant proportion of submissions, which extends the overall turnaround times.
