Do You Need Both LPAs in the UK?

By Matt Cresswell, Founder at Power of Attorney Online and author of
Everything you ever wanted to know about LPAs (but were afraid to ask)

06th May 2026

When people look up Do You Need Both LPAs in the UK?, they’re usually partway through the process.

They’ve realised a Lasting Power of Attorney matters. Now they’re trying to decide how far to go with it.

It sounds like a technical choice, but in reality it’s a practical one.

The two types of LPA, in plain terms

In the UK, there are two separate LPAs.

One covers property and financial affairs. That includes managing bank accounts, paying bills, handling pensions or even selling a home.

The other covers health and welfare. That’s about care decisions, medical treatment, and where someone lives if they can no longer decide for themselves.

Both are registered through the Office of the Public Guardian, but they serve different roles.

Why many people set up both

On paper, you can choose either. In practice, many people end up creating both.

The reason is simple.

Life rarely splits neatly into financial and health decisions.

If someone loses capacity, those areas tend to overlap. Managing care often involves paying for it. Decisions about living arrangements can affect finances and wellbeing at the same time.

Having both LPAs in place means there are no gaps.

It gives the people you trust the ability to act fully, without hitting unexpected limits.

When one LPA might be enough

There are situations where someone chooses to set up just one.

Some people focus on financial affairs first. It’s the more immediate concern. Bills still need paying. Accounts need managing.

Health and welfare decisions, on the other hand, only come into effect if capacity is lost. And even then, professionals will usually involve family in discussions.

So it’s not uncommon for people to prioritise one, with the intention of adding the other later.

The risk of leaving it too late

That intention is where things sometimes fall down.

An LPA can only be set up while someone still has mental capacity. Once that’s gone, the option disappears.

At that point, families may need to apply to the Court of Protection instead, which is more complex and time-consuming.

This is why many people decide to put both in place at the same time. It avoids having to revisit the process later.

A more realistic way to think about it

Rather than asking which LPA you need, it often helps to think about what could realistically happen.

• If someone couldn’t manage their finances, who would step in?
• If decisions about care or treatment were needed, who would speak for them?

Most people can answer both of those questions fairly easily.

And that usually points toward having both types of LPA in place.

A balanced approach

There’s no single rule that applies to everyone.

Some people take it step by step. Others prefer to put everything in place in one go and know it’s sorted.

What matters is understanding the difference and making a conscious choice, rather than leaving a gap by accident.

Moving forward with clarity

Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney using a guided service like Power of Attoney Online is about preparing for something you hope won’t happen, but might.

For many, having both LPAs brings a sense of completeness. It means that if the situation changes, the practical and personal sides are both covered.

And once it’s done, it’s one less thing to worry about later.

Written by Matt Cresswell

Matt Cresswell is the Founder of Power of Attorney Online, a service helping people across England and Wales create Lasting Powers of Attorney through guided online support and expert document reviews. He founded the business following his father's diagnosis with dementia, after experiencing first-hand how confusing the LPA process can be for families. Matt's expertise focuses on Lasting Powers of Attorney, planning ahead and helping families prepare for the future before a crisis occurs.