Guidance

LA Welfare Direct lite 10/2021

Updated 20 December 2021

© Crown copyright 2021

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/la-welfare-direct-bulletins-2021/la-welfare-direct-lite-102021

Contact

Queries about the:

  • technical content of this bulletin, contact details are given at the end of each article
  • general content and distribution of this bulletin, contact lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk

Who should read

All Housing Benefit (HB) staff

Action

For information

Reminder and request to cascade: New online service local authorities can use to view valid registered lasting power of attorney details

1. As notified in August’s LAWD8/2021 bulletin, there is a new online service local authorities (LAs) can use to view valid registered lasting power of attorney details.

2. It has been brought to our attention that this information has not reached all those within LAs that need to be aware of this service. Therefore, we ask that this information is cascaded, as appropriate, across each authority.

3. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registers lasting powers of attorney (LPAs). LPAs let a person (known as the donor) appoint someone, or an organisation that they trust, to legally make decisions on their behalf if that person is no longer able to do so.

New online service

4. The Ministry of Justice, working with OPG in England and Wales, now provides a new online service which allows donors and attorneys of registered LPAs to share details of their LPA online. This makes it easier for donors and attorneys to share the details of an LPA with organisations and allows LAs to check that LPAs are valid and provides the facility to download a copy of the LPA summary for your records.

Accessing the service

5. In order to view an LPA, you must have a secure LPA access code (this is supplied by the donor or attorney).

6. You can only use this service for LPAs that were registered in England and Wales on or after 1 September 2019. For LPAs registered before this date you will still need to view the paper LPA documents.

7. This service is not available for LPAs registered with OPG in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How it works

  • donors or attorneys with LPAs registered on or after 17 July 2020 will have been sent an activation key with their registration letter

  • if an LPA was registered on or after 1 September 2019, the donor or attorney will need to request an activation key online

  • once the donor or attorney have an activation key they can create an account online and add LPAs to their account

  • a donor or attorney can then generate a secure LPA access code which can be provided to an organisation to allow it to view a summary of an LPA

8. Further information on LPAs is available from OPG.

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