I’m Lynda Wilson and I’m a team manager in the Adult Social Care Finance Team in the Adults and Communities department here at the Council. I support our residents with money management, including overseeing the appointeeship and deputyship provisions for Leicestershire. It’s a really rewarding role which ensures some of our most vulnerable residents get the support they need.
The Appointee and Deputyship Team at Leicestershire County Council manage finances for some of Leicestershire’s most vulnerable residents, who lack the mental capacity to manage their affairs themselves. We support them by safeguarding their finances, making sure that their bills are paid and that they are claiming the correct benefits and have access to regular money for their personal needs.
It’s really important to have conversations with the people who are important to you, about what you would like to happen to you, and who you would like to manage your money and be your voice in the event that you are unable to do so yourself.
Not only can having these conversations provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones, but there are also financial benefits to planning in advance.
A great way to ensure this is by setting up a Power of Attorney. This allows you to nominate someone else to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated or unable to do so.
They can be set up online and currently cost £82.00 per attorney being appointed, however, those in receipt of qualifying benefits may be able to apply for a fee reduction or exemption, and you don’t need a solicitor to make the application for you.
Once your application has been registered, you can activate the Power of Attorney at any point.
For those who don’t have a Power of Attorney in place and are lacking capacity, appointing someone to manage your property and finances can be a longer, costly and a more complicated process. The process of appointing a Deputy can take anywhere between 6 and 12 months to finalise.
Costs for a professional to make a Deputyship application can range from £3,000 to £5,000, and it’s important to remember that professional Deputies charge annual fees for their services. These costs will differ depending on individual circumstances but can be anywhere between £2,000 and £3,000 each year, if not more.
If you want to start a conversation with a loved one about Lasting Power of Attorney, it’s essential to plan ahead. Power of Attorney can be set up at any stage of life (as long as you and your attorney are both over 18 years of age and have capacity to make decisions) and is only activated when it’s needed.
Having a conversation early on will make it feel more like a preparatory measure, rather than a response to a life event (i.e. medical diagnosis).
Ensure that the person you are talking to is in a safe and comfortable environment, and make sure that there aren’t too many people present, to avoid any feelings of overwhelm.
Have an open conversation which allows everyone the time and space that they need to express their views and consider the information that’s being presented to them.
Ask them to consider what is important to them, and if they have any thoughts on how they might like to be cared for if they were unable to look after themselves, and how they would like their finances to be managed if they were unable to.
Remember that having conversations about what may happen in the future can be quite uncomfortable for people and can make them feel pressured, therefore. It’s really important to respect each other's choices, and be prepared to revisit the conversation at another time if needed.
Further information on Lasting Power of Attorney can be found on the county council’s website.