OPG update

Public Guardian fees rise

The majority of fees payable to the Public Guardian will increase on 1 April 2019, as detailed in sched 2 to SSI 2018/86. The fee for submitting a power of attorney (PoA) or deed of amendment rises to £79, and registration fees for orders under part 6 of the AWI Act to £89. Fees associated with supervising guardians will also go up.

Fee exemption scheme

A fee exemption scheme is available for OPG services. Information about eligibility criteria is available from the OPG website. To claim, an application form must be completed and sent to OPG along with relevant supporting evidence. In relation to registration fees for guardianship or intervention orders, the application form and supporting evidence may be lodged along with the summary application and reports.

PoA jurisdiction check

As announced at Journal, January 2019, 40, OPG will be adding a new check to its registration process to ensure it has due jurisdiction to deal with a PoA submitted for registration. It is anticipated that this will be implemented in the coming months. Check the OPG website and Twitter feed @OPGScotland for updates.