Budgeting in Property and Finance matters in the Court of Protection has arrived this week.
We’ve been waiting a long time but at long last the new Deputy Annual Report forms were released on 1st March 2016.
The new OPG forms can be found here.
In particular, may I draw your attention to the new form OPG105 Property and financial decisions. This is where the OPG require you to estimate what your future costs are the forthcoming year.
I recall Alan Eccles, of the OPG, announcing back in August 2015 of the requirement for the supervision project which would be introduced from 2016. This project originated from the safeguarding review which had been undertaken by the OPG. The new reporting form allows the OPG to review the annual plan in conjunction with the costs estimate to be provided.
I predict from March 2017 onwards as being the testing time for this new procedure when Bills of Costs are submitted to the SCCO for the years general management of property and financial affairs are assessed. Where the bill of costs exceeds 20% of the costs estimate given the previous year, an explanation will be required by the SCCO.
It was noted by Alan Eccles that an estimate of costs would change dramatically if the Protected Party moved into a new care regime for example leading to the sale of a property or perhaps for the search for a team of carers in cases where the health of the Protected Party suddenly deteriorated.
If you need any assistance with providing your estimate, please contact us at PIC. We can help work in partnership with the prediction for the forthcoming year using our experience in Court of Protection costs we have gained over the last 20 years.
The new form can be found here.