MAKING a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is not just for older people!

Anyone can appoint an LPA; it means nominating a trusted friend or relative to act on your behalf and manage your finances, care or medical treatment if you should ever lose mental capacity either because of illness or due to an accident.

The kinds of illness that may prevent you from making decisions for yourself include dementia, mental health problems, a brain injury, alcohol or drug misuse or the side effects of medical treatment.

Setting up an LPA doesn’t mean that you are expecting anything to happen but it’s something you may want to do in case something happens in the future.

There are two types of LPA; property and financial affairs whereby you give authority to someone to manage and make decisions about things like buying and selling property, bank, building society and other financial accounts, welfare benefits and debt.

The health and welfare LPA gives someone the authority to deal with and make decisions about things like where you live, your day-to-day care and your healthcare treatment.

With both types of LPA you can choose to give authority to handle all or just specified areas of authority.

You can make an LPA either online at Welcome to GOV.UK or by downloading the forms.

There is a different form for each type of LPA and if you want to appoint someone to cover both you will need both forms.

You then register them with the Office of the Public Guardian and you will need to send a registration fee with the forms.

The Public Guardian then registers the LPA which can take up to 20 weeks.

They then notify you and your attorneys at which point the LPA can be used.

• You don’t have to be a legal expert to be a volunteer adviser at Citizens Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon (CA TNMWD) as full training and ongoing guidance is given.

It is very interesting and varied work and demand for our services is increasing.

If you can give one day a week to help us support people in our local communities who need our help and advice, please do get in touch. Email [email protected] we’d love to hear from you!

• For free, confidential, independent and impartial advice call our local (freephone) Adviceline: 0808 27 87 999

If you need help with bills mounting up and are worried about debt, please go here: https://citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk/debt-and-money-advice/

If you are unsure that you are getting the correct benefits, please go here: https://citizensadviceruraldevon.entitledto.co.uk/home/start

• CA TNMWD was honoured at the recent North Devon Volunteer Services awards, the Barnstaple based charity providing support and specialist advice to voluntary groups, charities, community groups and social enterprise.

Our Barnstaple Team was awarded the Team of the Year award, Vicki Rowe, our CEO received an award for outstanding contribution to the VCSE sector and two of our volunteers were presented with Lifetime Achievement awards – one of whom has been volunteering with us for 18 years!

Rosanna Teale

CEO and Trustee Support Officer

Citizens Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon