Are LPA Registration Fees Refundable?
When you can — and cannot — get your £92 registration fee back from the OPG.
Written by Anthony Dalton · Reviewed by James Tyrrell · Last reviewed
The short answer: in most situations, the £92 OPG registration fee is not refundable. If your LPA is rejected due to errors, the fee is lost and you pay again when you resubmit. Refunds are only issued in a small number of specific circumstances — such as the donor dying before registration completes, an OPG administrative error, or an overpayment. Here is exactly how it works.
At a glance
- The £92 OPG registration fee is refundable in limited circumstances, such as the donor dying before registration completes or an OPG administrative error
- If your LPA is rejected due to signing errors or other mistakes, the fee is generally not refunded
- Refunds typically take four to six weeks to process once approved
- Solicitor or service provider fees are separate and must be claimed from the provider, not the OPG
When Can the £92 Registration Fee Be Refunded?
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will consider refunding the £92 registration fee in a limited number of circumstances. These include:
The Donor Dies Before Registration Is Complete
If the donor passes away after the LPA has been submitted for registration but before the registration process is complete, the OPG will normally refund the fee. The LPA becomes void on the donor's death and cannot be registered, so the fee is returned. You will need to notify the OPG of the death and provide a copy of the death certificate.
The OPG Makes an Administrative Error
If the OPG makes a mistake in processing your LPA that results in delays, additional costs, or the need to resubmit, they may refund the original fee or waive the fee on the resubmission. This is uncommon but does happen. If you believe the OPG has made an error, raise it with them directly.
The Application Is Withdrawn Before Processing
If you withdraw your LPA application before the OPG has begun processing it, you may be able to get a refund. However, the window for this is very narrow. Once the OPG has started reviewing the documents, the fee is considered earned regardless of the outcome. Contact the OPG as soon as possible if you wish to withdraw.
Overpayment or Duplicate Payment
If you accidentally pay the fee twice, or pay more than the required amount (for example, if you paid the full £92 but qualified for a 50% reduction), the OPG will refund the overpayment. This is straightforward and usually processed automatically.
Key point: If you later discover you qualified for a fee exemption or reduction at the time of application but did not claim it, the OPG may retrospectively apply the reduction and refund the difference. You will need to provide the same evidence as a standard fee reduction application.
Refundable vs Non-Refundable: At a Glance
| Fee Usually Refunded | Fee Usually Not Refunded |
|---|---|
| Donor dies before registration completes | LPA rejected due to signing errors |
| OPG makes an administrative error | Successful objection to the LPA |
| Application withdrawn before any processing | Donor changes their mind after processing begins |
| Duplicate or overpayment | Attorney refuses to act after submission |
| Retrospective fee exemption applied | Ineligible certificate provider used |
When Is the Fee Not Refundable?
In most situations where an LPA application fails, the £92 fee is not refunded. The most common non-refundable scenarios include:
- LPA rejected due to errors — If your LPA is returned because of mistakes such as incorrect signing order, missing signatures, an ineligible certificate provider, or invalid instructions, the fee is not refunded. You will need to correct the errors, resubmit, and pay the £92 fee again. This is the most common reason people lose their fee.
- Successful objection — If someone named in the LPA (or the OPG itself) objects to the registration and the objection is upheld, the LPA cannot be registered and the fee is not returned.
- Donor changes their mind — If the donor decides they no longer want the LPA after it has been submitted and the OPG has begun processing, the fee is generally not refundable.
- Attorney refuses to act — If an attorney decides not to take on the role after the LPA has been submitted for registration, this can invalidate the LPA (depending on the structure), and the fee would not normally be refunded.
How to Request a Refund
If you believe you are entitled to a refund, you should contact the Office of the Public Guardian directly. Here is how:
- By telephone: Call the OPG on 0300 456 0300 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Explain your situation and they will advise on the next steps.
- By email: Contact customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk with your LPA reference number and a clear explanation of why you are requesting a refund.
- By post: Write to the Office of the Public Guardian, PO Box 16185, Birmingham B2 2WH, including your reference number and supporting documents.
When requesting a refund, include your LPA reference number (if you have one), the date you submitted the application, proof of payment, and any supporting documentation such as a death certificate or evidence of an OPG error. Refunds are typically processed within four to six weeks.
What About Solicitor or Service Fees?
There is an important distinction between the government registration fee and any fees you have paid to a solicitor or online LPA service. The OPG can only refund its own £92 registration fee. Professional preparation fees are a separate matter.
If a solicitor or service provider made errors that caused your LPA to be rejected, you may have grounds to complain and seek a refund of their fees — but this would be a complaint to the provider, not to the OPG. Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and you can escalate complaints to the Legal Ombudsman if necessary.
For more on the registration fee itself and what it covers, see our guide on the government LPA registration fee.
How to Avoid Losing Your Fee
The best way to protect your £92 is to ensure your LPA is completed correctly before submission. Here are some practical tips:
- Double-check the signing order — The donor must sign first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys. Getting this wrong is the number one cause of rejection.
- Ensure all signatures are witnessed — Every signature (donor, certificate provider, attorneys, replacement attorneys) must have a valid witness.
- Use an eligible certificate provider — They must be either someone who has known you for at least two years or a qualifying professional. They cannot be a named attorney or a family member of an attorney.
- Use a professional service — Using a reputable online LPA service means your documents are checked before submission, drastically reducing the risk of rejection. For more on this, see our guide on how to register an LPA with the OPG.
The Bigger Picture: LPA Costs Are an Investment
While losing a £92 registration fee to a rejected LPA is frustrating, the real financial risk of not having an LPA is far greater. If you lose mental capacity without an LPA in place, your family may need to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order. This costs over £1,000 in application fees alone, plus ongoing annual supervision charges, and can take six months or more to arrange.
The £92 registration fee — even if paid twice due to an initial rejection — is a tiny fraction of the alternative. Getting it right is well worth a small investment of care and attention. For a fuller look at why LPAs are worth the cost, see our guide on common reasons LPAs are rejected.
For a full breakdown of what you'll pay, see our LPA pricing page, or learn how our guided service works.
Key Takeaways
- Refunds are the exception, not the rule — the OPG only refunds the £92 fee in specific situations such as the donor's death before registration or an OPG error.
- Rejected LPAs usually lose the fee — errors like incorrect signing order or an ineligible certificate provider mean you pay £92 again when you resubmit.
- Retrospective fee exemptions are possible — if you later discover you qualified for a fee reduction (e.g. receiving means-tested benefits), the OPG may refund the difference.
- Prevention is cheaper than correction — using a reputable LPA service to check your documents before submission significantly reduces the risk of a costly rejection.
Quick Answers on LPA Fee Refunds
How long does an OPG refund take to process?
Refunds from the Office of the Public Guardian are typically processed within four to six weeks of the request being approved. The refund is usually returned by the same payment method used for the original fee.
Do I get a refund if my LPA is rejected because of a signing error?
No. If your LPA is rejected due to a signing error — for example, an incorrect signing order — the £92 registration fee is not refunded. You will need to pay the £92 fee again when you resubmit a corrected LPA.
Can I get a refund if I qualified for a fee exemption but forgot to apply?
Yes. If you later discover you qualified for a fee exemption or reduction at the time of your application, the OPG may retrospectively apply it and refund the difference. You will need to provide the same evidence required for a standard fee reduction claim, such as proof of means-tested benefits.
Do I pay the £92 fee again if my LPA is rejected and I resubmit?
Yes. If your LPA is rejected by the OPG and you resubmit a corrected version, the £92 registration fee is charged again. There is no waiver for resubmissions. This is why avoiding errors in the first place — particularly around the signing order and eligibility of the certificate provider — is so important.
This guide was last reviewed and updated on . Information is based on current legislation and OPG guidance for England and Wales.
Official Guidance
Further reading from GOV.UK
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