Oxford News
Who can get free Power of Attorney under new updated rules?
The Office of the Public Guardian has confirmed that households on low incomes or certain benefits can apply to reduce the cost of registering a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA).
Registering these documents normally costs £92 – but many people won’t have to pay the full amount.
Who can pay less – or nothing at all
Support is split into two main types:
- Full exemption (pay £0):
If the person making the application (known as the donor) receives certain means-tested benefits, they won’t have to pay any fee. - 50% reduction (pay £46):
If the donor earns less than £12,000 a year before tax, the fee is cut in half.
Repeat applications can also be reduced to as little as £23.
However, there has been an important update for those on Universal Credit.
From February, people receiving Universal Credit will no longer qualify for a full exemption – but may still be eligible for the 50% discount depending on their income.
A Power of Attorney is more important than a Will. Should you get one?
Just a snippet from my Wills & Power of Attorney Martin Lewis Money show which includes how to DIY a PoA. Watch it back on https://t.co/ChFj8Kq0cD pic.twitter.com/6wEWmpVCeL
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) March 5, 2026
The changes, detailed in an updated document on gov.uk, come as more families turn to power of attorney arrangements to manage finances and care for loved ones – often during periods of illness, ageing or financial stress.
For households already struggling with rising living costs, even a £92 fee can be a barrier.
There is also extra support available for those facing severe financial pressure.
If someone does not qualify for an exemption or reduction but still cannot afford the fee, they can apply for a hardship review, which may lower the cost further.
What is a Power of Attorney, and why do I need one?
Martin Lewis has been very clear that it is a vital document, and one we should all consider.
There’s more information here, but in short, he said: “I think in many ways, a Power of Attorney is more important than a will, because if you die, you die and the money is going to go on to other people and you won’t use it anymore.
“But if you lose your faculties, if you lose your ability to look after yourself mentally, then the question is what happens to your finances? And the truth is, let’s say it’s a dementia or an accident or a stroke – severe ones – don’t assume your family can access your money, not even if it’s the money needed to pay for your care.
“It can be locked away without anyone being able to touch it. To get it they’ll need to apply via the Court of Protection or equivalent. That’s a hassle. It’s long. It’s costly. You might not get the right person appointed that you would have wanted to take over your faculties.”
There’s more details on his Money Saving Expert website.
How to apply for a Power of Attorney for free or a reduced rate
To get help, applicants must submit a fee support form along with evidence of income or benefits when registering the power of attorney.
The Office of the Public Guardian said applications without the correct documents may be rejected – meaning the full fee would still need to be paid.
Decisions can also be challenged, with applicants given 28 days to request a review if they believe they were wrongly refused support.
Recommended reading:
Scottish types of Power of Attorney (PoA)
Power of Attorney rules are broadly similar across the UK, but Scotland does have some key differences, under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
These are:
Continuing Power of Attorney
This gives powers to deal with money and/or property
Continuing (financial) powers can be used by the attorney immediately after the PoA document has been registered with us. If the PoA is only to be used in the event of your incapacity, it must clearly state that the powers are not to be used until this happens. You may wish to add a statement about who should make this decision about your incapacity.
For details, contact:
Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland)
Hadrian House
Callendar Business Park
Callendar Road
Falkirk
FK1 1XR
Telephone: 01324 678300
Email: opg@scotcourts.gov.uk
Welfare Power of Attorney
This gives powers to make decisions around health or personal welfare matters
Welfare powers may only be acted upon after the PoA has been registered with us and when you have lost capacity to make decisions on matters to which the powers apply. Read the definition of incapacity.
Combined Power of Attorney
This is the key difference as it gives both continuing and welfare powers
The majority of PoAs registered with the Scottish Public Office of the Guardian are a combination of continuing and welfare powers. However, it is your choice as to the type of PoA you wish to grant.
On Wednesday, September 2, it was the Concours judging and private viewings to dominate the agenda for the day.
Twelve Concours classes were held across almost a century of motoring, including The Golden Age of Motoring, 100 Years of Carrrozzeria Touring, La Dolce Vita, 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura and Passione Ferrari.
Two new classes also made their debut for 2026, Rare Breeds of the Digital Age and Hypercar Heaven, which recognise the growing importance of contemporary performance cars within the international collector market.
Judging will take place across Wednesday and Thursday, with the show field bringing together a 70-strong collection of classics, supercars and hypercars from around the world.
Some of the cars include Aa Maserati 8C 3000, Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta, a one-off Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale, a very early Porsche 356 Split Window Coupé, Aston Martin DB3S, Lamborghini Miura P400S, Bizzarrini 5300GT, Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet, Bugatti EB110 Prototype, Aston Martin Valiant Prototype and the extraordinary Bugatti Bolide, one of just 40 produced worldwide.
Helen Pike has decided to step down as Master of Magdalen College School at the end of the 2026/27 academic year, the school in east Oxford announced in March.
MCS is one of the top performing schools in the country, ranking in the top 20 independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2026.
READ MORE: UK private school headteacher to leave after 11 years
The new academic year will start next week, with Ms Pike preparing for one more year in charge before she hands over to her successor, who will take over in September 2027.
The first female Master at MCS, Ms Pike guided the board of governors to one of the most significant decisions in the school’s history, to become fully co-educational from 2027.
While there has been a co-educational sixth form at the school for 15 years, the school last month announced it will become fully co-educational over the coming decade.
Ms Pike said earlier: “I love MCS, and it is a perennial privilege to lead this remarkable school.
“Being Master of MCS is a brilliant job, and I am declaring my intention early in order to give MCS the very best opportunity to find the right Master for September 2027. I shall continue to do all in my power to further the fortunes of this wonderful school until then.
“I look forward to a new phase in my own professional life, one that builds on all that I have enjoyed and achieved in my career during the past 30 years.
“Having encouraged many cohorts of pupils to take sensible risks and to do something creative and different when the time feels right, I am doing just that.”
During Ms Pike’s tenure, MCS has been recognised as a Top 20 Independent School and South East School of the Year by the Sunday Times and won Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility.
Thanking her in his letter to the school community, chair of governors, Bob Price, said earlier this year: “Helen is an outstanding leader and will go with our sincere gratitude and warm thanks for her exceptional headship.
“She will leave the school in excellent shape for her successor.”
Recruitment for a replacement for Ms Pike is now under way.
Last month, Ms Pike congratulated pupils on their “outstanding success” in this year’s A-Level exams, after more than a quarter of pupils (43) achieved three A*s or more and 25 secured all A*s.
In total, 39 pupils from the 2026 cohort are heading to Oxbridge, while 22 have secured places to study medicine.
As part of the school’s expansion plans, MCS is preparing to build a new Science, Library and Partnerships building.
A spokeswoman said the new building will offer an exciting opportunity to reimagine the senior school site as staff look ahead to full co-education.
She added earlier: “With a vision to create a sector-leading science building in the centre of Oxford, the development will enable us to support an ambitious and forward-looking science curriculum, expanding to the emerging and rapidly advancing areas of robotics, AI and Big Data.”
Holding banners which read ‘For f**k’s sake, just stop oil’, the demonstrators took to the road in Parliament Square at noon today (Wednesday, September 2).
This was as Andy Burnham faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions, and many of the protestors glued themselves to the road.
The group demanded that the UK government stop approving all further oil and gas developments, and sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to stop oil and gas extraction.
READ MORE: Witney firefighters called out to over 50 incidents in one month
Just Stop Oil say that the police are expected to arrest all those blocking the road, and that one lane has been left free of glued-on action takers to permit access for emergency vehicles.
Andy Burnham is due to make a decision on whether to allow more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Reverend James Crote, a Baptist Minister and grandfather from Chesterton near Bicester, said: “Today is my grandson’s first birthday. I have to take action for the sake of his future.
The 69-year-old added: “The government has been dilly-dallying about whether to say yes or no to the Rosebank oil field but, if we want a future for our children, there is no choice – it has to say ‘no’.
READ MORE: Chain closes almost 200 UK restaurants with close to 4,000 jobs lost
“I am here as a Christian Minister because the Church has to speak out and demand that the government stops approving further oil and gas developments now. It’s time for us all to say ‘For God’s sake, Just Stop Oil’.”
Data from the Met Office indicates that 2026 was the hottest summer in UK recorded history, beating 2025, which was the previous hottest summer on record.
2026 was also one of the driest summers on record, delivering record-low food harvests.
Climbing temperatures have triggered wildfires across the country, and national fire chiefs said the wildfire risk facing the UK is “like nothing we have seen before”.
READ MORE: Broadchurch star selling £1.8m ‘magical’ Cotswolds mill house after 60 years
Taking action, grandmother Victoria Ann Lynch-Staunton from Leamington Spa, said: “What is happening is beyond a tragedy.”
The 71-year-old added: “I beg everyone to join Just Stop Oil or governments will continue to prioritise endless growth and corporate profit over billions of lives – yours and your children.
“Wake up and smell the coffin. It is the responsibility of all of us to act now!”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today: “We are all Just Stop Oil.
READ MORE: The Grand Tour returns to screens with brand new trio this week
“Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank.
“Every one of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity, but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand.
“So we’re inviting everyone to join us at an online call on 3rd October 2026 – because it’s when we work together that we are powerful and win.”
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