Applications for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) in respect of a person’s Health and Welfare are far less common than applications for Property and Financial Affairs LPAs: in the first quarter of 2018 alone, 8,089 applications were made to the Court of Protection in respect of the latter, with only 264 applications received for Health and Welfare LPAs.
Further, the Court of Protection is increasingly reluctant to appoint deputies in respect of Health and Welfare to ensure that vulnerable people feel empowered, rather than restricted, in their everyday lives.