Thomas Hazlewood

To use a Lasting Power of Attorney, you will need to verify that you are an attorney. Any organisation you try to deal with will want to check that you are appointed to act. Until a few years ago, you did this by providing the LPA, or a certified copy, to the institution. As with many things, this can now be completed electronically. Read on to find out how this can be done in 3 simple steps.

How does it work?

Once set up, an attorney, can provide an Access Code, to the organisation they are trying to deal with. The organization can then, using that code, gain access to a summary of the LPA. They can then check you have authority to act for the donor. They may also need to verify your ID to ensure you are the person named on the LPA. Once completed, they will know the authority you have to act.

Step 1: Collate the required information

There are two key details that you need:

1. The activation key. This is a 13 digit code beginning with the letter ‘C’. It can be found in the OPG’s confirmatory letter that the OPG is registered. You will have received this when the LPA was first registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
2. The LPA reference number. This is the 12 digit code on the LPA itself (e.g. 1111-1111-1111). It can also be found at the top of any correspondence received from the OPG.

Step 2: Create a ‘Use an LPA’ account

To create an account, visit the gov.uk website and search “use an LPA”. Alternatively, use the link below:

Use a lasting power of attorney: Start using a lasting power of attorney – GOV.UK

On this page, select start now. You will need to set up an access page the first time which includes your information

Step 3: Provide the LPA reference and Activation Key

Once you have an access page, it is here that you can provide the original information you collated:

• the LPA reference number; and
• the activation key.

Step 4: Generate the Access Code

You will now be able to generate an Access Code. Each Access Code has 13 letters and starts with a ‘V’. Provide this to the organization you are trying to verify the LPA for.

Step 5: LPA verified

Third parties can, using the Access Code you provided, view an LPA summary. The page they need to visit is:

View a lasting power of attorney – GOV.UK

Other Useful Links

The OPG’s explanatory video of codes and reference numbers:

OPG’s guidance page on “Use an LPA” accounts and Access Codes:

www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-donors-lpa-access-codes-and-view-an-lpa