It has been announced that refunds are due to more than 80,000 people who have had deputies appointed for them by the Court of Protection during the period 1st April 2008 and 31st March 2015.
It is believed there is £20 million in total due to be refunded. On average each qualifying person will receive in the region of £240 but the reality is that most refunds are less than £200 plus 0.5% interest.
The overcharged deputy fees apply to the assessment and annual supervision fees. The Ministry of Justice says that the number of deputyships rose faster than expected which made it difficult to predict costs accurately. This resulted in the fees being charged not matching what it actually cost the Office of the Public Guardian to supervise deputies, for a period of seven years.
Anyone currently acting as a deputy and did so through the qualifying period need not worry as the Office of the Public Guardian will make the refunds automatically. However, if you have acted as a deputy during the qualifying period and the donor has since died then you should advise the executor of the estate who should then contact the Office of the Public Guardian and make a claim.
To ascertain if you are due a refund visit www.gov.uk/deputyship-refund or call the helpline on 0300 456 0300 (option 6). The deadline for claims is 4th October 2022.
Beers can offer helpful advice on all aspects of creating and registering Lasting Powers of Attorney and the registration of existing Enduring Powers of Attorney, we will be happy to hear from you to discuss your requirements in more detail – 01548 857000.
