DEPUTY FEE: You will need to pay fees if you are applying for a Court of Protection deputyship. The charges you must pay will include:
- An annual supervision fee after getting appointed.
- A ‘security bond’ (if appointed as a property and affairs deputy).
Deputy Application Fee
The current cost of applying is £371. Make the cheque payable to ‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service’ and send it with the application form.
The court might decide that the case needs a hearing. If so, you must pay an extra charge of £494. The court will inform you when to pay the extra fee.
Note: You would need to pay the application fee twice if you apply to become both of the two types of deputy.
After You Get Appointed
There is an annual supervision fee to pay. The actual cost will depend on what level of supervision the deputyship requires. Thus, the price for:
- General supervision is £320.
- Minimal supervision is £35. This fee applies to certain property and affairs deputies who are managing less than £21,000.
The yearly supervision fee becomes due on the 31st of March for the previous year. A new deputy would need to pay a £100 assessment fee as well.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is a government body in England and Wales. They protect private assets and supervise the financial affairs of people lacking mental capacity to make decisions. The OPG will inform you when and how to pay deputy assessment and supervision fees.
Note: In certain situations, you may qualify to claim a refund on the cost to become a deputy (see below).
Paying a Security Bonds (property and affairs deputies)
People who get appointed as a property and affairs deputy must pay a ‘security bond’. It is a kind of insurance system that protects the finances of the person that you are acting as deputy for.
You would need to pay the bond to a security bond provider. The court will send you a letter informing you how to pay it. The actual amount to pay would depend on:
- The value of the estate belonging to the person for whom you have deputyship.
- How much control you have over the person’s estate.
There is more than one way to pay the fee, such as:
- Using money from the person you make decisions for.
- Paying it yourself. You would be able to get the money back from their estate once you get access to it.
Misusing the person’s money or their financial affairs can result in a prosecution in the United Kingdom.
Getting Help with a Deputy Application Fee
An assessment of finances determines whether or not you have to pay an application fee. As a rule, it depends on:
- Which type of deputy your application is for.
- How much money the applicant and the subject has (the person you are applying to be deputy for).
Note: If you apply to be a property and financial affairs deputy they will asses their finances. But, if you apply to be a personal welfare deputy they will assess yours instead.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Who Can Be a Deputy in the UK | The court places certain restrictions on who it appoints as deputies.
How to Change Deputyship | The process of changing your deputyship or making a one-off decision.
The UK Government publishes further guidance on getting help to pay the fees. Use Form COP44A to apply for help with Court of Protection fees.
If your application is to be a property and affairs deputy, you will be able to claim back the fee from the person’s funds.
Note: The court will refund the fee if the person dies within five (5) days of when the Court of Protection receives the application.
Getting Help with Deputy Supervision Fees
You may be able to apply for an exemption or a reduction of OPG deputy fees. To get it, the person who lacks mental capacity must be getting certain benefits or their income must be below £12,000.
If the Person You are Deputy for Dies
If the person passes away you would pay the supervision fee for the part year that you acted as their deputy. So, you would need to pay £17.50 if a minimal supervision deputyship ended after six (6) months, for example.