OPG aim to reduce the average age of adults with an LPA

It’s been reported recently by The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) that the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) for England and Wales has published a six-year plan to improve safeguarding of adults at risk.

The OPG’s statutory role is to register Lasting Power of Attorneys, it also supervises deputies appointed by the Court of Protection, keeps records of the relevant court orders and deals with complaints about deputies and registered attorneys. More adults than ever now have a registered LPA, EPA or deputy court order from the Court of Protection.

The OPG believes that all adults over the age of 18 should make an LPA, so that someone they trust can make decisions for them in case they lose mental capacity. Its long-term plan is to lower the average age of users and help more people from different backgrounds make LPAs.

Rogers & Norton have an experienced and knowledgeable team who specialise in planning for later life and helping vulnerable clients. With the increase in the UK age demographic and the higher incidence of people living with dementia, it is vital to ensure that plans are in place at an early stage in order that support can be given in the event of the loss of mental capacity.