Power of Attorney Cost & Charges UK 2026

• You can pay by credit or debit card or cheque, and you cannot use Payment by Account (PBA) to pay for an LPA.
• Make your cheque payable to the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Depending on the type of mistake, the Office of the Public Guardian may let you correct it and apply again within 3 months for £46.
• Payment must be made at the time of applying, retrospective refunds are not possible and all fees are non-refundable.

Our lasting power of attorney guide explains the two types, and our setting up guide takes you through making one.

GOV.UK says that if the donor's income before tax is less than £12,000 a year, you only pay half, which is known as a 50% remission and is £46 to apply to register an LPA or an EPA. The LPA120 form says you may only have to pay half of the fee if the donor's annual income before tax is £12,000 or less.

If the donor receives certain means-tested benefits when you apply to register, you do not have to pay anything, which is called an exemption. The LPA120 form lists these benefits:

• ✓Yes: The Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
• ✓Yes: Income-based Employment and Support Allowance.
• ✓Yes: Income-based Job-Seeker's Allowance.
• ✓Yes: Income Support.
• ✓Yes: Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Local Housing Allowance.
• ✓Yes: Working Tax Credit, combined with Child Tax Credit, a disability element or a severe disability element.

Who does not get the exemption

• ✗No: A donor who is receiving Universal Credit cannot be assessed for an exemption of fees, and is assessed for a remission.
• ✗No: A donor who has been awarded personal injury damages of more than £16,000, where that amount was ignored when they were assessed for the benefit, will have to pay a fee.

• You must send evidence of means-tested benefits, including a letter or notification from the benefit provider confirming the amount the donor has received.
• The evidence must be submitted at the same time the power of attorney is sent and be for the correct financial year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
• If the donor does not qualify for an exemption or remission but paying would cause financial hardship, you can write to the Office of the Public Guardian to request a fee reduction, called a hardship application.
• If your application has been rejected, you can request a review in writing, received within 28 days of the date of the letter that stated the outcome of your original application.

GOV.UK says you can make a lasting power of attorney online or using paper forms, and that you can get someone else to use the online service or fill in the paper forms for you, for example a family member, friend or solicitor.

MoneyHelper says you do not need a solicitor to make a power of attorney, but that solicitors may charge fees, and that professionals charge for their time, so you should always discuss costs and details with them before setting up a power of attorney.

MoneyHelper also says a certificate provider, who can be a professional like a GP or lawyer, confirms the donor's decision, and that most GPs may charge around £50-£120 for this certification process. The £92 registration fee is the Office of the Public Guardian fee for each LPA application. Read our step-by-step guide to setting up a power of attorney.

GOV.UK says an LPA is legally binding only in England and Wales, and that there is a different way to make a power of attorney that works in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Scotland

• From 1 April 2026 the fee payable to the Public Guardian for submitting a continuing power of attorney, a welfare power of attorney or a combined continuing and welfare power of attorney is £99, where £96 was formerly payable.
• The fee is not payable by a person who, or whose partner, receives income support, guarantee credit or income-related employment and support allowance, or by a person who receives income-based jobseeker's allowance or universal credit.
• The fee is also not payable by a person who receives personal independence payment or adult disability payment, provided their gross annual income is £26,437 or less.

Northern Ireland

• The fee for an application for registration of an Enduring Power of Attorney (EP2 application) is £189, made payable to NICTS.
• An EPA in Northern Ireland covers financial matters only.