Claim a deputyship fee refund

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1. Overview

You might be eligible for a refund if you were overcharged deputyship fees by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) for England and Wales.

The refunds are only for deputyship assessments and annual supervisions which took place between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2015.

This page is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

To find out if you’re owed any money and how much you’ll get, you’ll need to make a claim to the OPG.

If you’re a deputy acting under a current court order, you do not need to apply for a refund. Any overcharged fees will be refunded automatically.

The deadline for refund claims is 4 October 2022.

What you’ll get

How much you get will depend on:

  • how much you paid and at what rate
  • how long you paid for
  • whether you have unpaid fees

Most refunds will be less than £200. You’ll also get 0.5% interest.

2. Who can claim

You can make a claim if you:

  • had a deputy previously
  • are acting on behalf of someone who had a deputy and has died

The deputyship must have been active between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2015.

If you’re still acting as a deputy, you do not need to apply. Any overcharged fees will be refunded automatically.

If you had a deputy previously

If you had a deputy but you now make your own decisions, you can apply for a refund.

You can also ask your property and financial affairs attorney to make a claim on your behalf.

If you’re acting on behalf of someone who has died

If the person who used to have a deputy (the ‘client’) has died, the executor of the will must claim the refund.

If there is no executor, an administrator of the estate can apply.

If there is no estate administrator, a family member can apply.

What you do with the refund

Any refund received should be divided between the beneficiaries of the client’s estate.

If the client’s estate has already been settled, you can get help from Citizens Advice or a solicitor to make sure you comply with the law.

3. What you'll need to claim

To claim, you’ll need details of the person who had a deputy (the ‘client’). This includes their:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address when the deputyship ended
  • date of death (if relevant)

You’ll also need to provide details of the bank account you’d like the refund to be paid in to (if you do not want to be refunded by cheque).

Documents you’ll need to provide

You’ll need to send proof of your:

  • name
  • address
  • right to apply (if you’re not the client)

You can send scanned and photocopied documents.

You can also send original documents. They will be returned to you by post.

You need to send a different piece of evidence for each type of proof.

Proof of your name

This can be:

  • current signed passport (copy of the page showing your name and photograph)
  • original birth or adoption certificate
  • current UK or EEA photocard driver’s licence (not provisional licence)
  • full old-style driving licence
  • EEA member state identity card or national identity photo card
  • benefit book or original notification letter from the benefits agency

Proof of your address

This can be:

  • utility bill (not a mobile phone bill) from the last 12 months
  • current council tax bill
  • bank, building society or credit union statement or passbook dated within the last 3 months
  • original mortgage statement issued for the last full year
  • council or housing association or rent card or tenancy agreement for the current year

Proof of your right to apply

Include a copy of:

  • grant of probate (executors)
  • letters of administration (administrators)
  • death certificate (family members)

If you’re a property and financial affairs attorney, you’ll need to provide the lasting power of attorney reference number.

4. How to claim

You will need to complete a form and send it with your evidence.

Claim by email

Send the form and evidence as email attachments to:

DeputyshipFeeRefunds@justice.gov.uk

You’ll need to attach scanned copies or clear photographs of original documents. The email size limit is 10MB but you can send more than one email.

Write ‘Deputyship fee refund application’ as the email subject.

Claim by post

Post the form and your evidence to:

Deputyship Fee Refunds
Office of the Public Guardian
PO Box 10796
Nottingham
NG2 9WF

Claim by phone

If you cannot claim by email or fill in the form yourself, contact the helpline. You’ll still need to send evidence.

Refunds Helpline
DeputyshipFeeRefunds@justice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 456 0300 (choose option 6)
Textphone: 0115 934 2778
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9am to 5pm
Wednesday 10am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

5. After you've claimed

You’ll be told by email or letter:

  • when your application has been received
  • if any information is missing
  • whether your claim is successful
  • the refund amount and when it’ll be paid
  • the reasons for any rejection

When you’ll get the refund

It can take up to 10 weeks to get a decision and a further 2 weeks to receive the refund.

If your claim is rejected

You can appeal by contacting the Refunds Helpline.

Refunds Helpline
DeputyshipFeeRefunds@justice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 456 0300 (choose option 6)
Textphone: 0115 934 2778
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9am to 5pm
Wednesday 10am to 5pm
Find out about call charges