The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) met with representatives from BEST Foundation earlier this month to share updates on its current operations, digital developments, and upcoming fee changes.
OPG opened the discussion by outlining the scale of the office’s current workload. The team continues to manage exceptionally high volumes, with over 5,000 applications received each day and an average of 1,800 calls handled daily. Processing times for new applications remain steady at around 8 to 10 weeks, including the statutory four-week period. In total, the OPG received 1.37 million applications in the 2024–25 period, a figure that continues to grow year on year.
Fee Increase and Service Demand
OPG confirmed that this is the first fee increase in nearly ten years, following approval by Parliament. As a government body, the OPG’s work is funded through cost recovery. The new fee will make sure that income from LPA applications better meets the cost of delivering the services provided by OPG.
Applications will be charged based on the date they are received, meaning those received before 17th November 2025 will still be charged at £82.
Digital and Policy Developments
An update on the Modernising Lasting Power of Attorney (MLPA) project was also provided. OPG are working to finalise the design of the modernised service and implement required legislative changes to begin live testing.
A key digital advancement already live is the new online OPG130 form, which allows individuals and professionals to raise concerns about the use of powers of attorney more efficiently. The form is designed to ensure that all concerns are directed to the right place and handled appropriately.
Members can access the form here: Raise a concern – GOV.UK.
During the last reporting period, OPG received around 11,000 concerns, of which approximately 7,000 were outside its direct remit. Cases involving potential misuse or fraud are referred to local authorities, the police, or the Court of Protection where necessary.
Improving Communication
The OPG has also streamlined its contact processes, introducing a new central telephone number – 0300 456 0300 – which replaces previous local numbers. The change is designed to make it easier for callers to reach the right team more quickly and improve the consistency of service.
Ongoing Collaboration
BEST representatives shared general feedback on some of the challenges professionals experience when interacting with OPG systems, particularly around communication and consistency of responses. The OPG welcomed this input and confirmed that it will continue to review the issues raised and report back in due course.
Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining open dialogue and collaboration, with further updates to follow as projects progress.
