Following the launch of the ‘View a lasting power of attorney’ service on GOV.UK, STEP has provided guidance on what the service is and how to use the service.

What is the ‘View a lasting power of attorney’ tool?

The ‘View a lasting power of attorney’ (LPA) service on GOV.UK is a secure online service that allows companies and organisations to check the information contained within LPAs in England and Wales.

An LPA will usually be verified by someone checking the paper document. However, view an LPA enables users to see the details of the LPA without the attorney needing to provide the paper version.

The service provides an online summary of all the information needed to confirm that the LPA is valid and up to date. STEP list several benefits to this:

• essential information is summarised in just one online page
• there is no risk that the paper document will get lost in the post
• you can download the PDF and keep a copy for your records
• a posted LPA could take days to arrive, be returned and nothing can be done in the meantime
• the online service facilitates quick action, such as for immediate medical treatment
• any changes made to the LPA will be actioned quickly with the online service and visible much sooner

It should be noted that only LPAs registered on or after 1 January 2016 can be verified on ‘View an LPA’, and LPAs registered in Scotland, Northern Ireland or abroad will not be showed.

What information does ‘View an LPA’ provide?

‘View an LPA’ shows you any information you may need to allow an attorney to make decisions on behalf of the donor. The details include:

• the donor’s details – name, address and date of birth
• the attorneys’ details – how many there are, their names, addresses and dates of birth
• how decisions are made by the attorneys
• the donor’s choice on life sustaining treatment, if the LPA is for health and welfare
• any instructions and preferences written by the donor, which could affect or even disallow what the attorney intends to do
• whether the LPA is still valid and registered

How do you use ‘View an LPA’?

To see an LPA, users will need a 13-character LPA access code, which is supplied by the attorney or donor. You need to enter the donor’s surname and the code. If the LPA is found, you will see the full name of the donor and the type of LPA. You can then check the details and that the type of LPA is appropriate for the decision that needs to be made.

How do you get LPA access codes?

If the attorney does not know how to create an access code or has given you an invalid one, you can ask them to go to GOV.UK to search for LPA access codes.

They will be asked to give the name of their company or organisation. This is recorded along with the date so that the donor and any other attorneys can see when and how the LPA is being used.

See also

Place a deceased estates notice

The duties of an executor: what to do when someone dies

What you need to know about lasting power of attorney (LPA)

The importance of having a lasting power of attorney (LPA) when it comes to equity release

Find out more

View a lasting power of attorney (GOV.UK)

Using the donor’s LPA: access codes and View an LPA (GOV.UK)

Images

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Publication date

8 July 2024

Any opinion expressed in this article is that of the author and the author alone, and does not necessarily represent that of The Gazette.