How to check an LPA is genuine
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Anyone being asked to act on an LPA is entitled to check it. Here is how.
What to look at on the document
- The OPG registration stamp, applied to every page.
- Section 5 — how the attorneys must act together.
- Section 7 — any instructions restricting what the attorney can do.
- Whether it is LP1F (finances) or LP1H (health), because that decides the scope.
Online verification
Attorneys can generate a code through the OPG's Use a Lasting Power of Attorney service and give it to an organisation, which then views a summary online. It confirms the LPA is registered, current and shows who the attorneys are. See the OPG use an LPA service.
If something looks wrong
You can ask the OPG to search the register
The OPG operates a register search on form OPG100 which confirms whether a person has a registered LPA and whether it has been revoked. Where you suspect abuse, report it rather than simply refusing to act. See financial abuse by an attorney.
Common questions
Can I refuse to accept an LPA?
An organisation should accept a valid registered LPA covering the decision, but it can reasonably ask for verification first.
How do I know it has not been revoked?
Use the online service or the OPG register search — the paper document itself cannot tell you.
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This is general information about how Lasting Powers of Attorney work in England and Wales. It is not legal advice about your situation. What we do and do not do.
Published by Estate Advisory Group