Lasting Power of Attorney
Over the last few months, I have had quite a few people getting in touch regarding the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and lasting power of attorney (LPA). This is the sort of thing that is required when someone is very ill or frail - and in many cases with a long-term condition like dementia. My own nan faced exactly these issues so I do understand what families are going through at such times.
A good example is Mrs C. After almost a year of waiting for the LPA to come through, Mrs C from near Consett got in touch with me concerned that she'd waited for almost a year to get LPA over her husband's affairs after he had fallen ill with a degenerative illness. She contacted me in June to ask if I could help as the situation was becoming very difficult.
We chased down the OPG immediately and kept on their case for eight weeks and finally the OPG came back with the situation fully resolved and the LPA in place.
We've managed to successfully resolve most of these cases at what is often an enormously stressful time for families. As ever, we won't be able to solve everything but we will always do our best.
Often, minor administrative errors can clog up the process far more than is reasonable. So, if you're facing similar difficulties with the OPG regarding an LPA for a family member in similar circumstances then don't hesitate to drop my North West Durham office a line via www.richardholden.org.uk/contact or email at richard.holden.mp@parliament.uk.