Once a lasting power of attorney (LPA) has been registered, donors and attorneys can create an account to give organisations access to view the details of that LPA online.
This allows banks, healthcare providers and other selected organisations to see the details of the LPA, including information like the donor and attorney information, how decisions are made, and any instructions and preferences.
The Use a lasting power of attorney (Use an LPA) service launched in July 2020 and so far, two million LPAs have been added into the service. We have continued to develop the service in response to feedback, enabling more LPAs to be registered and more details to be visible. Andy Tovey, Head of Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney Business Readiness, said:
“The Use an LPA service has been widely embraced by customers, with the majority finding it easy and efficient to use. Seeing how many people are using the service is reassuring and we are working with other organisations to ensure our customers are being supported throughout the process. At OPG, we are striving to continue improving our services to become fit for the future.”
How it works
Once an LPA is registered, attorneys and donors are sent an activation key and an LPA reference number. If required, new activation keys can be requested through the Use an LPA service.
To access the service, donors or attorneys need a GOV.UK One Login account – this is a new way of signing into government services, including Use an LPA. If you don’t yet have an account, there is a step-by-step guide on how to set one up on the GOV.UK Use an LPA page.
After a donor or attorney has created an account online, LPAs can be added to the account. A donor or attorney can then make a secure access code which they give to organisations to view an online summary of an LPA and keep track of which organisations have had access. Kamlesh Samji, a donor with experience of the Use an LPA service, said:
“The Use a Lasting Power of Attorney service is easy and straight-forward to use and saves lots of time compared to previous methods of sharing LPA details.
Managing which organisations have seen the LPA summary is a great feature and I am confident that my information and data is safe and secure. I would absolutely recommend this service.”
Donors and attorneys with LPAs registered on or after 1 January 2016 can use the online service.
