OPG Deputy Supervision Fees and Annual Reporting: What Deputies Must Do
OPG Deputy Supervision Fees and Annual Reporting: What Deputies Must Do
Once the Court of Protection grants a deputyship order, the work doesn't stop. Unlike an LPA attorney — who acts with no ongoing oversight or fees — a deputy is supervised by the Office of the Public Guardian for as long as the order is in force. That means annual fees, mandatory financial reporting, and the ever-present possibility of investigation if something doesn't add up.
Annual Supervision Fees
The OPG charges deputies an annual supervision fee based on the level of oversight:
| Supervision level | Annual fee | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| General supervision | £320/year | Most new financial deputies |
| Minimal supervision | £35/year | Deputies with a clean track record after several years |
Most financial deputies start on general supervision. The OPG reviews your reports in detail, may contact you with questions, and actively monitors the management of the person's finances.
After several years of clean, accurate reporting with no concerns, the OPG may reduce supervision to minimal — lighter-touch oversight with a lower fee. You can request a review of your supervision level, but the OPG decides.
The fee is deducted from the person's estate — not from the deputy's own funds. But it's still money coming out of your parent's savings every year, on top of care costs and other expenses.
The Security Bond
For financial deputyship, the court requires a security bond before the deputy can act. This is an insurance policy that protects the person's estate if the deputy mismanages funds, commits fraud, or makes serious errors.
The bond amount is set by the court based on the value of the person's estate, and the annual premium typically ranges from £100 to £300 per year. Like the supervision fee, the premium is paid from the person's estate.
The bond must remain in place for the duration of the deputyship. If it lapses, the OPG can restrict or revoke the deputy's authority.
Annual Financial Reporting
The OPG requires financial deputies to submit a detailed annual report accounting for all financial transactions on behalf of the person. This includes:
- Income: pensions, benefits, investment returns, rental income
- Regular expenses: care home fees, utility bills, insurance, council tax
- One-off payments: property repairs, medical equipment, legal fees
- Gifts: any gifts made from the person's estate (which must be reasonable and in their best interests)
- Property transactions: sales, purchases, remortgages, rentals
- Bank and investment statements: supporting documentation for the figures reported
The report must balance — income minus expenditure should match the change in the person's total assets. Discrepancies trigger further investigation.
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What Happens If You Don't File
Missing or late annual reports are taken seriously. The OPG's escalation process:
- Reminder letters — increasingly firm requests to submit the overdue report
- Formal warning — notification that failure to comply may result in action
- Investigation — the OPG may appoint a Court of Protection Visitor to meet you and review the person's financial situation
- Application to the court — in serious cases, the OPG can apply to the Court of Protection to remove you as deputy, appoint a replacement, or require you to repay any mismanaged funds
Being removed as deputy has real consequences: a professional deputy (a solicitor or local authority officer) may be appointed in your place, and their fees — typically £1,000+ per year — come from your parent's estate.
Property and Affairs vs Welfare Deputies
Property and affairs deputies (by far the most common) manage finances and are subject to full supervision, reporting, and security bond requirements.
Health and welfare deputies are rarely appointed. The Court of Protection generally prefers that welfare decisions are made collaboratively on a case-by-case basis under the best interests framework, rather than giving one person ongoing authority. When welfare deputies are appointed (usually in high-conflict situations), they're supervised but don't need a security bond — there are no financial transactions to protect.
Selling Property as Deputy
If your parent's care fees are consuming their estate and the property needs to be sold, the process as a deputy is more complex than for an LPA attorney:
- You must apply to the Court of Protection for permission to sell (this is usually included in the original deputyship order, but not always)
- The sale must be at market value — you cannot sell to a family member at below-market price
- You must demonstrate that selling is in the person's best interests (e.g., the property is empty, maintenance costs are accumulating, and the proceeds are needed for care)
- The OPG will review the transaction as part of your annual report
An LPA attorney, by contrast, can sell property without court permission (unless the LPA contains specific restrictions) — they just need to act in the donor's best interests and keep records.
The Cost Comparison, Again
| LPA Attorney | Deputy | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual supervision fee | £0 | £35–£320 |
| Security bond | Not required | £100–£300/year |
| Annual reporting | Not required | Mandatory |
| Property sale | No court permission needed | Court permission often required |
| Total annual overhead | £0 | £135–£620+ |
Over 10 years, deputyship overhead costs alone can exceed £6,000 — not counting the initial application fees, solicitor costs, or the COP3 assessment. An LPA costs £164 total with no ongoing charges.
The Wales Legal Authority Kit covers both the LPA pathway (with zero ongoing costs) and the deputyship pathway (including what supervision and reporting actually involves) — so you can make an informed decision about the route that applies to your family's situation.
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