On the first April 2017, the Office of the Public Guardian reduced the fees for applying to register lasting powers of attorney from £110 to £82 per document. The Office of the Public Guardian has now admitted to charging excessive fees for issuing powers of attorney for the past 4 years.

The fees charged previously were well above the costs the Office of the Public Guardian incurred in processing the applications, which is not permitted without specific legislative authority.

The agency has said that the many thousands of customers who have been overcharged will be refunded during the current financial year. Full details of the refund scheme will be announced “in due course”.

The amount owed is estimated at £89 million.