Making a Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to choose people you trust to make important decisions if you cannot make those decisions yourself.

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, usually shortened to LPA:

• A Property and Financial Affairs LPA, covering matters such as bank accounts, bills, benefits, investments and property.
• A Health and Welfare LPA, covering decisions about care, medical treatment and where you live.

An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used. A registration fee is normally payable for each document, but some people qualify for an exemption, a 50% reduction or help on grounds of financial hardship.

How Much Does It Cost to Register an LPA in 2026?

The Office of the Public Guardian currently charges £92 to register each LPA.

This means the normal government registration fees are:

• One LPA: £92
• Both types of LPA: £184

The registration fee is separate from any professional fee charged for advice and preparation.

At Do It Legally, our full LPA service costs £150, including advice, preparation and help with registration. The Office of the Public Guardian’s registration fees are payable separately.

The fee is charged for each LPA, not for each attorney appointed. Appointing two or more attorneys within the same document does not increase the registration fee.

You can read more about the two different types of LPA and why they can be useful at any adult age.

Who Is Responsible for the Registration Fee?

Eligibility for help with the fee is based on the financial circumstances of the person making the LPA. That person is known as the donor.

It is not normally based on the income or benefits of:

• The attorneys being appointed
• The donor’s spouse or partner
• Other members of the household

Each LPA and each donor must be considered separately.

When Can the Registration Fee Be Completely Waived?

A full fee exemption means that the donor pays no Office of the Public Guardian registration fee.

The donor may qualify if they receive one of the means-tested benefits recognised by the Office of the Public Guardian and provide the required evidence.

Qualifying benefits can include certain forms of:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• The Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Support or Council Tax Reduction
• Working Tax Credit in particular qualifying circumstances

The precise list and evidence requirements should always be checked against the current Office of the Public Guardian fee-exemption guidance.

An award of personal-injury damages may also affect eligibility for a full exemption.

Benefits such as the State Pension, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment do not, by themselves, provide an automatic exemption.

What Is the 50% Fee Reduction?

The Office of the Public Guardian calls the 50% reduction a fee remission.

A donor whose total gross annual income is below £12,000 may qualify to pay half the normal fee.

The reduced fees are therefore:

• One LPA: £46
• Both types of LPA: £92

Income from different sources may need to be included in the calculation, including:

• Employment or self-employment
• State and private pensions
• Benefits
• Property or rental income
• Savings, interest and investments
• Other regular income

Supporting evidence must be supplied. Depending on the income source, this might include wage slips, a tax return, pension documents, benefit statements or other official evidence.

Bank statements alone are not normally accepted as sufficient proof without supporting documentation.

Does Universal Credit Provide a Full Exemption?

Universal Credit does not currently provide an automatic full exemption from LPA registration fees.

A person receiving Universal Credit may instead qualify for the 50% fee remission if their total annual income before tax falls within the Office of the Public Guardian’s income limit.

The required Universal Credit statements and any evidence of other income should be provided with the application.

Can You Get Help If You Do Not Meet the Usual Rules?

Someone who does not qualify for an exemption or remission may still ask the Office of the Public Guardian to consider reducing the fee if paying it would cause genuine financial hardship.

This is known as a hardship application.

A written request should explain the donor’s circumstances and be submitted with the LPA documents and fee-help application. The Office of the Public Guardian may request further financial information before reaching a decision.

A hardship reduction is discretionary and is not guaranteed.

How Do You Apply for an Exemption or Reduction?

The application is made using form LPA120.

The completed form and supporting evidence should be submitted at the same time as the LPA is sent for registration. The official form and detailed instructions are available through the GOV.UK reduced-fee page.

It is important to:

1. Use the current version of form LPA120.
2. Identify whether an exemption, remission or hardship reduction is being requested.
3. Provide evidence relating to the donor.
4. Include evidence for the correct financial period.
5. Submit the application and evidence with the LPA registration documents.

Applications without suitable evidence may be rejected or delayed.

Can You Claim the Reduction After Paying?

No. The Office of the Public Guardian states that retrospective refunds are not available.

The exemption, remission or hardship request must therefore be made when the LPA is submitted for registration. The normal registration fee is also non-refundable.

This makes it important to consider eligibility before sending the documents.

What Happens If an LPA Has to Be Submitted Again?

If an application needs to be submitted again, the Office of the Public Guardian may charge a reduced repeat-application fee of £46 per LPA.

Where a 50% remission also applies, the repeat-application fee can be reduced to £23 per LPA.

Careful preparation can reduce the risk of rejection, delay and additional expense.

Frequently Asked Questions About LPA Fees

Is the £92 fee charged for every attorney?

No. The fee is charged for each LPA document, regardless of how many attorneys are appointed within it.

How much does it cost to register both types of LPA?

The normal Office of the Public Guardian fee is £184: £92 for the Property and Financial Affairs LPA and £92 for the Health and Welfare LPA.

Can pensioners obtain an exemption?

Receiving a State Pension does not automatically provide an exemption. A pensioner may nevertheless qualify through an eligible means-tested benefit, a sufficiently low gross annual income or financial hardship.

Does receiving PIP provide an exemption?

Personal Independence Payment does not, by itself, provide an automatic exemption. However, the donor’s overall income may qualify them for a 50% remission.

Can attorneys pay the registration fee?

Someone else can assist with payment, but eligibility for an exemption or remission is determined by the donor’s circumstances.

Making an LPA with Do It Legally

LPAs are important documents, and mistakes can lead to rejection, delay and additional fees.

Do It Legally provides a professional LPA service for £150, including advice, document preparation and help with registration. The Office of the Public Guardian fee of £92 for each LPA is additional, subject to any exemption or reduction for which the donor qualifies.

If you already have an LPA, it is also sensible to check periodically that the attorneys and instructions remain suitable. Read our guidance on when to review a Will or Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Contact Do It Legally to discuss making or reviewing your Lasting Powers of Attorney and whether you may qualify for help with the registration fees.

Information and fees checked on 31 August 2026. This article provides general information for England and Wales. Eligibility and government fees should be confirmed when an application is made.