Lasting Power of Attorney - why so expensive and why isn't everyone nudged to do one?

[housemonkey]

My parents have been filling in their LPAs, which are inherently useful and mean that it's clearly set out what they want done in case of serious illness. In their case, they don't want anything at all.
https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power
But why on earth is it such a ball ache and why on earth does it cost £92??
If my grandmother had filled one of these out, it would have saved the NHS literally hundreds of thousands of pounds for an utterly joyless extra month in her nineties that she didn't want.
But these forms are complicated (they're on it and organised, but have struggled) and not everyone has £92 lying around! Why aren't they readily available (and you could just be referred by eg your GP if it was something you were interested in?). It's crazy! I totally understand that not everyone would want one (and that's obviously fine), but if you are, it should be straightforward and free.

I've just sent off both kinds of LPA. As the fee has just gone up it will be two lots of fees. I don't think the fee is particularly expensive.

I think it's completely different paying for a will (benefits you because your wishes are carried out) and your family (they inherit) to a health and welfare LPA, which does prevent you from stewing in some godawful care home for the rest of time but also - and the reason my parents did it -- ensures that you don't cost the NHS a fortune (having seen several close family members going down this route by accident).

My sister and I have health and financial LPAs for our mum. We didn't use either a gp or a solicitor. An old schoolfriend of mine, who has known my mum well for many years, certified the document.

You do have to be careful to follow the procedure exactly, but it is clearly set out on the forms.

Yes, but a lot of people will! My husband and I aren't going to spend almost £200 on something that may or may not happen right now.

A will can be rather limited without a financial LPA in place.

You don't need an LPA to say you don't want hospital admissions etc, it just helps the process if the person is unable to make decisions for themself. The person can communicate what they do or don't want (called advance care planning), or a decision can be made in the person's best interests with family/healthcare staff if the person can't decide and no LPA in place. Neither of those requires any money.

I've made it clear that I am talking about a health and welfare LPA.

Your choice. You could be in an accident and be incapacitated tomorrow.

Yes you did. Both should really be in place.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying, but I struggle to see how having a LPA in place would have prevented your father being in a care home for five years despite being DNR.

Both my grandmother and my father were left in a state that they weren't able to make decisions. I simply cannot believe that it is simply bad luck that two close family members faced this problem (at gigantic cost to the NHS).

Because he was given emergency care of the type that my parents have specifically rejected five years ago, which saved his life but left him completely dependent in a care home. Again, not an entirely unprecedented example, I am sadly sure.

Yes, but we don't have much in the way of cash! The costs would fall on the NHS and social care, not us (because we could easily burn through every thing we have quite fast).

You don't need the GP to sign them.
In my opinion it's something every adult should do. Trying to set one up after an individual has lost or reduced capacity is vastly more complicated, as I understand it.

They have done both, and my point isn't about paying for the finance LPA. Totally fine to pay for that because it is essentially financial planning, which you should pay for. The health and welfare LPA is different, so please don't blur the issues.

It's utterly impossible in my father's case. I agree that every adult should do it, but my point is that £92 is a significant roadblock for many many many people. And it would save the NHS a fortune.

DH sorted out his Mums and it cost nothing and he got a work colleague of good standing to countersign it, I think.

You still have to pay the fee to lodge it with the OPG.

Not everything can be free. It costs money to administer. The Office of the Public Guardian who handle the applications are not volunteers. But employed.

Many people I suspect do not fully read through the POA guidelines that are on their website. About how people should fill the form in, or even handle it once completed. There are aspects of it that need reviewing.
But if you want to get one or be an Attorney do read the guidelines.

Such a poor understanding of how this works.

OP you’ve demonstrated exactly why these matters need official administration and why they cost (the very reasonable sum) of £92.

There is absolutely no need to see a doctor about this, I’m surprised the GP was willing tbh!

Then he’s done it wrong and the LPA isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

So why not do yours? Save for a couple of months and do the responsible thing

Your assumption about saving cost to the NHS is based on an assumption that people will refuse life saving/life sustaining care. Some people may want everything possible done to prolong their life so there would be no 'cost saving '.
£92 for LPAs is very good value for money given the work required by the Office of the Public Guardian to manage the system and the time, stress and financial cost it saves by having them in place. They are free for those on certain means tested benefits and those with a pre-tax income of less than about £12,000 pay half.
We had POAs in place for my mum which were essential in managing her finances and enabled us to advocate for what was in her best interest. Without them it would have cost thousands to go through the Court of Protection which would have taken months and been much more restrictive. Mum got her LPAs for free because she received pension credit. But I would happily have paid the £164 (price for both at the time) and considered it to be one of my best ever investments.
My DH, DD and I are in the process of drawing up all our own LPAs. It is probably the most important piece of administration you can do for yourself and your family. We are doing it ourselves with a family friend acting as certificate provider. The total cost will be £552 (£92 x 6). We are doing them all together but we could spread the cost out by doing them over time.

They can't combine, because the financial one can be set to start immediately. Say I was hospitalised or housebound, but haven't lost capacity, my niece could use the financial lpa, to access my bank accounts to pay my bills, get my shopping etc, as long as she acts in my best interest.

Why did they need to go to their GP? I didn't when I did mine.