Office of the Public Guardian prepares to launch digital LPA system

October 21, 2025 Tom Whitfield Business 0

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Office of the Public Guardian is to launch a digital LPA system as a result of the Powers of Attorney Act 2023. The system will offer a completely digital way to register and create an LPA online in England and Wales.

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Lasting Powers of Attorney are moving online.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Easier application

The LPA online process can be complex, although there are professionals on hand to help with it, including specialist websites such as powerofattorneyonline.co.uk. The new system from the Office of the Public Guardian aims to make the process safer, faster and more accessible.

The new process will introduce an LPA online system with error checking in real time to reduce delays. There will also be hybrid options aimed at people who prefer paper, offering some digital steps and some on paper.

More improvements

The new system aims to offer improved safeguarding with stronger powers for the OPG to protect vulnerable people and wider objection routes. It will also offer identity verification for all parties in a bid to reduce fraud. The changes aim to make LPAs even more user-friendly and secure.

The new system is currently being developed and tested by the OPG, and it is expected to have a phased rollout starting late 2025. Until then, however, people are being reminded of the importance of LPAs and being urged to use existing processes and specialist companies to create and register these legal documents. All LPAs created now will be recognised once the new system comes into operation and can prevent problems if someone loses capacity.

Summary

This article explains the Office of the Public Guardian’s plans to launch a digital LPA system under the Powers of Attorney Act 2023. It describes the new system as offering a fully digital way to register and create an LPA in England and Wales, with real-time error checking, hybrid options for those who prefer paper, stronger safeguarding powers, and identity verification to reduce fraud.

Questions this article raises

  • When exactly will the new digital LPA system become available to the public?
  • Will existing paper-based LPAs need to be reissued under the new system?
  • How will identity verification actually work for the digital LPA process?
About Tom Whitfield 290 Articles
Tom Whitfield is a business owner and adviser who has spent two decades working with companies ranging from ambitious start-ups to established independent businesses. He writes about the realities of running a business, the people behind them and the ideas and decisions that shape them.