LPA Registrations Soar: The Growing Pressure on an Ageing System

12th August 2025

Updated:

1st October 2025

Over the past four years, the number of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) registrations in England and Wales has more than doubled, jumping from 691,746 in 2020/21 to 1,367,053 in 2024/25. This remarkable growth reflects a major shift in public awareness around future planning and the importance of appointing someone trusted to manage health, welfare, or financial decisions.

But while demand has soared, the system designed to handle LPAs is under increasing strain.

The OPG Under Pressure

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is responsible for registering LPAs, but its infrastructure remains largely paper-based and manual. Despite the 97% increase in applications, the registration process has not been significantly modernised.

This outdated approach means:

• Longer wait times for families
• More administrative errors
• A frustrating experience at a critical time

The surge in applications is a positive step towards better future planning, but the registration journey often feels unnecessarily slow and complicated.

Why Are UK LPA Registrations Increasing?

SSeveral factors are driving the rise in LPA applications:

• Public awareness campaigns such as Your Voice, Your Decision have highlighted the risks of not having an LPA.
• An ageing population is planning ahead to protect health, welfare, and finances.
• The impact of COVID-19 prompted many people to think seriously about future decision-making.
• Simplified online services, such as Power of Attorney Online, have made creating an LPA clearer and more affordable.

Even so, the final registration stage remains dependent on an OPG system struggling to cope with modern levels of demand.

Why Modernisation of the LPA System Matters

The doubling of registrations should be an opportunity for reform. Instead, it has highlighted just how outdated the current process is. To handle the growing demand, the OPG could introduce:

• Secure digital signatures
• Real-time application tracking
• Faster validation workflows

Without these improvements, applicants risk facing unnecessary delays at the very moment they need their LPA to be active and enforceable.

Power of Attorney Online: Making LPAs Simpler

At Power of Attorney Online, we’ve built a solution designed to help people complete their LPA applications with clarity and confidence, avoiding common mistakes that cause delays, and ensuring forms are ready for submission first time. While we can’t speed up the OPG’s processing directly, we make the rest of the journey as simple and stress-free as possible.

Start Your LPA Today

Want to avoid common LPA errors and complete your application with ease? Start your LPA today with Power of Attorney Online: the smart way to get it right first time.