Latest OPG figures show reduced power of attorney delays

Target times for registering powers of attorney by online application were met this past week, the Office of the Public Guardian reports as it works to reduce a backlog caused by an increase in applications.

Recently it was reported that applicants were facing delays of up to three months, due to a 40% rise in the number of applications over the past two years, resulting in more than 300 new PoAs being processed each working day.

In September OPG announced measures to tackle the backlog, and claimed today that in the past week it had met its 30 day registration target for applications made online using EPOAR (Electronic Power of Attorney Registration), which accounts for 65% of applications.

Postal applications are taking longer at 45 days, but OPG has committed to improving this and is currently training additional staff to help reduce this delay.

A statement said: "We understand the anxiety that people will experience if there is a delay to registering PoAs. We want to reassure people that we can fast-track applications which are urgent. We are registering those in an average of two days, through this expedited process."

It added that the increase in applications for PoAs was "a positive indicator that more people are viewing PoA as a vital part of their long-term life planning".

Latest performance figures can be found at this link.