Why 1 in 11 LPA Applications Gets Returned — And the Check Most Families Never Do

You filled in every section. You got it witnessed. You paid the fee. You posted it. Six weeks later, it came back. This is what goes wrong — and how to make sure it does not happen to you.

A returned application costs you money. It costs you time. And it costs you something that cannot be recovered: weeks of the window while your loved one still has mental capacity. If that window closes before your resubmission is processed, you face the Court of Protection instead — at a cost of hundreds of pounds and months of waiting, with no guarantee of outcome.

Getting the LPA right first time is not just about saving money. It is about protecting the window while it is still open.

1. The signing order is wrong

This is the single most common reason LPA applications are returned, and it is the one most families have never heard of.

There is a specific legal order in which people must sign the LPA form. The donor must sign first. Then the certificate provider. Then the attorneys. If anyone signs on the wrong day, or in the wrong sequence — even by one day — the form is invalid and the OPG will return it.

This rule is not prominently explained on the form itself. Most people who get it wrong did not know it existed.

2. An ineligible certificate provider

The certificate provider is the person who signs to confirm the donor understands what they are agreeing to and is not being pressured. But not everyone can fulfil this role. The rules are strict and not widely known.

A family member of the donor cannot be the certificate provider. Someone who lives at the same address cannot do it. Anyone named as an attorney cannot do it. A business partner of an attorney cannot do it.

Many families choose someone who seems entirely reasonable — a trusted friend, a neighbour — without knowing these rules apply. The form comes back.

3. Section 5 left blank on the LP1F

On the Property and Financial Affairs form, Section 5 asks when attorneys can act — immediately after the LPA is registered, or only once the donor has lost capacity. One option must be chosen. Leaving this section blank is an automatic rejection.

Most donors choosing an LP1F select Option A, which allows attorneys to act straight away. But either option is valid. What is not valid is leaving it empty.

4. Section 5 left blank on the LP1H

The Health and Welfare form has its own Section 5 — and it is just as critical. This section asks about life-sustaining treatment: whether attorneys can consent to or refuse it on the donor’s behalf. Option A or Option B must be selected. Blank means rejected.

This is one of the most important decisions in the entire LPA process. It deserves thought, not a guess made under pressure. The checker explains both options clearly so you can choose with confidence.

5. Correction fluid or poorly initialled corrections

Mistakes happen when filling in long forms. What matters is how you correct them. Using correction fluid on an LPA form invalidates it entirely. Any correction must be made by crossing out in black ink, writing the correct information next to it, and initialling beside the change.

If you have used correction fluid anywhere on the form, the safest option is to start again. It is frustrating — but far less frustrating than a rejection six weeks after posting.

6. Names that do not match throughout

The donor’s full name must be written exactly the same way in every section of the form, and must match the name on their official identity documents. A middle name used in one place but omitted in another can be enough to trigger a rejection.

Check the name in every section before signing. It sounds obvious — but it is in the checker for a reason.

7. An attorney who is bankrupt or subject to a Debt Relief Order

A person who is bankrupt, or who is subject to a Debt Relief Order, cannot act as an attorney for property and financial affairs. This disqualification is not common knowledge, and the form does not prompt you to check it unless you know to look.

The LPA Checker asks about this for every attorney you name. If a disqualifying answer is given, it tells you immediately — before that name goes on the real form.

The check most families never do

Before you sign anything — before your certificate provider picks up a pen, before your attorneys are involved — go through the form section by section and check every point that could cause a rejection.

I built the CarersInfo LPA Checkers to make this possible for any family, without legal knowledge. Two interactive tools — one for the LP1F, one for the LP1H — that mirror the real OPG documents section by section. You work through each part before you sign, and the checker flags every potential problem in plain English.

Your data never leaves your device. Nothing is sent to any server. Both forms are included for a one-time payment of £14.99.

If you have not yet started your LPA and want to understand the full process first, my free Power of Attorney guide covers everything — what an LPA is, who needs one, how to apply, and why timing matters so much.

→  Access the free LPA guide in your Puzzle Hub

The CarersInfo LPA Checkers are interactive guidance tools, not legal advice. They do not guarantee your application will be accepted by the OPG. Always verify your completed form against current OPG guidance at GOV.UK/power-of-attorney before submission. OPG registration fee of £92 per LPA correct as of April 2026, having increased from £82 in November 2025.