Power of Attorney online tool STILL not live – here's how the process is set to change in future

When the online tool was first announced in September 2023, the Government said more information on when it would become available would be published "in the coming months". But over a year later, the new system is still being tested.

An LPA allows you to nominate a friend or relative to take over your finances if you lose your faculties. Without one, your friends or family will have to go through the Court of Protection, a costly legal process, to access your money – which is why MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis says the document is "more important than a will".

When it launches, the online tool should make applying quicker and easier

The new process will enable you to fully fill out and submit your LPA application online, with the following benefits:

• Mistakes will be easier to identify before the form is submitted. For example, if you spell the attorney's name differently on one of the sections, the system will flag this mistake so you can correct it. Using the paper system, you would have to wait for your application to be sent back to you or rejected before you can correct the mistake or reapply.

• Your application won't be slowed down by postal delays or losses.

• You'll be able to get a digital copy of your LPA certificate. Currently, you can only get a physical copy of your official certificate, though those who registered after 1 January 2016 can view and share a digital summary of their LPA.

What's not yet clear is exactly how the process will work in full or how information and identities will be verified – options explored include video, screen sharing and electronic signatures.

Crucially, a paper-based process will remain in place for those who prefer to use it. This is also expected to be "improved" but again, it's unclear how this will be changing, or when.

Why the process of making an LPA is changing

Currently, in England and Wales, you can either download the application forms, print them off and fill them in by hand, or fill them in using an online form on Gov.uk and then print them off. Either way, you'll then need to get them signed by hand and post them to the Office of the Public Guardian.

Nearly 51,000 LPA applications were rejected in the 2023/24 financial year, according to a Freedom of Information request by investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown. Making an LPA initially costs £82 per application, and if you have to reapply, you'll need to pay an additional £41 per application – though you can ask for the fees to be waived if you're on a very low income or getting certain benefits.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, which is overseeing the reforms, refused to comment on when the online tool would launch. However, it said that the new system "will reduce errors and streamline the process, making it easier and safer for people to apply online or on paper".

For further guidance on making an LPA, including how the process works in Northern Ireland and Scotland, see our Power of Attorney guide.