Written question asked by Viscount Stansgate (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. It was answered by Lord Lemos (Labour) on Monday, 21 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Powers of Attorney

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Powers of Attorney Act 2023 on the Lasting Power of Attorney application process.

Answer: The Powers of Attorney Act 2023 has not yet been commenced. The Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are working to finalise the design of the modernised service this Act facilitates, including how this will be translated into legislation. This is a significant transformation for OPG, and it is important that we take the appropriate time to get the new service design right to enable an enhanced process to make and register a Lasting Power of Attorney for users. We remain fully committed to modernising the process to make it easier and more secure, whilst securing OPG's long term financial sustainability.

Secondary information