Has anyone done financial LPA recently and how long did it take?

[terceira]

By which I mean registered with the OPG and useable. Solicitor has said it will be about 3 months, does that chime with others' recent experience. Thanks.

Mine took 6 months. I didn't use a solicitor so maybe that's quicker? It was a fairly straightforward process.

The website is saying 20 weeks, or was when I looked at it a couple of weeks ago.

Yes allow at least 3 months, if its urgent the bank can arrange 3rd party access and add your name to the account and cards you can pay bills etc. The person needs to visit the bank with you and have capacity.

Thanks.

Yes I'd seen 20 weeks too and rather hoped it would be quicker. Hopefully the solicitor is right.

She's got enough funds in her current account for about 17 weeks of nursing home fees and we think there's some money in an ISA and there is also her house but we can't do anything with the ISA or the house without LPA I think.

We can't do 3rd party access unless the bank would visit her in the nursing home, which I will try to find out about. She's very seriously ill but she does have capacity and is conscious and able to hold a conversation.

Sorry she's so unwell, does she qualify for fully funded fast track, that would pay her fees and something her gp can arrange. If you're concerned about the money running out the opg can also make important decisions as a one off, the home manager may also advise you about deferred payments.

Check the bank website and ring them up. I've just randomly looked at the Barclays website (where my mum's account is) and they say they can in the right circumstances set up third party access remotely, or there are things like authorised use which is less formal. If you don't ask you don't get.

We are both well and it seems to be taking forever.

I have it for him, he has it for me.

DS has it for both of us so that should cover all eventualities.

I did one 6 months ago, said would be 20 weeks, took about 8

@TraitorsGate she's passed the CHC checklist and is having the full assessment next week but am not sure if she will get it. I will probably go to the assessment to support my partner (it's his mum and he is really struggling with it all). I think she will almost certainly get FNC if she doesn't get CHC though obviously that's a lot less. Thanks, I didn't know that the OPG can do one off decisions.

@Thethruththewholetruth that is useful to know, thank you.

I went through some of this with my mum (not the CHC bit though) and it's bringing at all back. Such a stressful uncertain time.

Took 6 months in 2022

It may be via the court of protection but someone should be able to help you

We've had ours back, took about 3 months but it took longer than it should as we messed up the date order of signatures and needed to re-submit specific pages.

We've just done it for my mum and it took 4 months

Did for my DH in December and it came through last month

Well I went to the bank earlier (it's Barclays) and they cannot set up 3rd party authority remotely, she has to go to a branch. I explained that wasn't possible and why. They've said she can instead call them to request transfer of funds from the ISA to the current account but in order to do the security check they need to send a text to her mobile phone. Unfortunately they have an old number for her. In order to get the number changed she can write them a letter (she isn't permitted to do that bit over the phone).

So we've either got to try and find and reactivate her old SIM or get her to sign a letter. Problem is she broke a bone in her right shoulder in a fall (I didn't tell the bank that bit), is right handed and I am not sure her signature is going to match the one they have on record. I'm not 100% sure she could manage on the phone anyway, she possibly could with one of us helping her.

I was wrong about the funds, the bulk is in the ISA and she has only about 11k in the current account. I think we either have to try and register her for internet banking or speak to social services/the home manager and see if they can put a charge on her house or do deferred payment or something. Barclays have now "helpfully" stuck a marker on her account to say that she's vulnerable ( I said she is cognitively fine but she cannot walk) so I am not sure whether an attempt at registering for internet banking is going to work.

We did ours during the 1st lockdown. Didn’t use a solicitor, IMO its not necessary as long as you can read and follow the instructions carefully. Took a couple of months to come back IIRC.

Ours was six months via the solicitor.

Just set up deferred payments with the home.

We needed this because it took some time to sell my parents house after they went into a home (they had no savings only equity in their home).

You seem to potentially only need a few weeks, but it does take time to set up LPA etc with the banks (some banks are better than others!) and you need a letter from the GP etc so factor in that time.

Can you pay for the shortfall yourself in the meantime? We asked about that I were told that was fine, just keep the paperwork if IHT was ever to be an issue

DM did one just after Christmas, naming me as Attorney. She got the paperwork pre-Christmas and filled out all of her side, witnessed etc. I filled out mine and sent just after Christmas and it came back (fully registered, ready to use) around 2 weeks ago. So I wouldn't say it's taking 20 weeks, but certainly around 3 months ish.