Comments on: If you want to understand modern government, understand the Office of the Public Guardian http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Denise Baldry http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-177006 Denise Baldry Sat, 04 Jun 2011 03:50:49 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-177006 Last year the OPG stopped payments from my mother's account with the CoP. I should perhaps state here that I am her only surviving relative and was too hesitant to get her to sign a power of attorney before it all became confusing. That was about 9 years ago. But last year, apparently, I should have reapplied to be my mother's deputy, including all the other documents that involved. Apparently I should have read the magazine, and the document affixed to the back of the annual statement. I didn't. I'm sorry, but I didn't. Now you or I would expect a demanding letter, followed by a phone call. No, the office of the public Guardian decides that its best way to react is to stop payments. To the person it has been commissioned to Guard. From her own money, collected by the law that said her house had to be sold. So because the law has been changed slightly, and because the person who would naturally (one hopes) be caring for that persons's wellbeing is not allowed to, all payments from the account of the person to be Guarded are stopped. Until, 3 months later, her daughter is contacted by the care home about the bill. Now, I take responsibility for not noticing this, but actually my mother pays a lot of money each year for the Office of the Public Guardian to make sure that she is OK. The fact that I have to pay out a third of my life savings to temporarily rescue the situation (nearly £9,000) means that something is very wrong here. I have no idea how long the OPG would have left the situation, they showed no signs at all of notifying me or the care home in the 3 months that they simply struck out payments. So I have absolutely no regard or respect for them as a body. Luckily, the Court of Protection employs real people who listen, understand and know what to do. And sorted out the situation. But here is another letter from the OPG, with a demand for payment, my mother's name in bold, and an attachment with some scrawled dates... Having shown such disregard about whether my mother's own money is paid to her or not, and therefore whether she lives or dies, I have no further interest in this body of people. Denise Baldry Last year the OPG stopped payments from my mother’s account with the CoP. I should perhaps state here that I am her only surviving relative and was too hesitant to get her to sign a power of attorney before it all became confusing. That was about 9 years ago. But last year, apparently, I should have reapplied to be my mother’s deputy, including all the other documents that involved. Apparently I should have read the magazine, and the document affixed to the back of the annual statement. I didn’t. I’m sorry, but I didn’t. Now you or I would expect a demanding letter, followed by a phone call. No, the office of the public Guardian decides that its best way to react is to stop payments. To the person it has been commissioned to Guard. From her own money, collected by the law that said her house had to be sold. So because the law has been changed slightly, and because the person who would naturally (one hopes) be caring for that persons’s wellbeing is not allowed to, all payments from the account of the person to be Guarded are stopped. Until, 3 months later, her daughter is contacted by the care home about the bill.
Now, I take responsibility for not noticing this, but actually my mother pays a lot of money each year for the Office of the Public Guardian to make sure that she is OK. The fact that I have to pay out a third of my life savings to temporarily rescue the situation (nearly £9,000) means that something is very wrong here. I have no idea how long the OPG would have left the situation, they showed no signs at all of notifying me or the care home in the 3 months that they simply struck out payments. So I have absolutely no regard or respect for them as a body. Luckily, the Court of Protection employs real people who listen, understand and know what to do. And sorted out the situation. But here is another letter from the OPG, with a demand for payment, my mother’s name in bold, and an attachment with some scrawled dates… Having shown such disregard about whether my mother’s own money is paid to her or not, and therefore whether she lives or dies, I have no further interest in this body of people.
Denise Baldry

]]> By: Tax policies aren’t just about who gets what money | Mark Pack http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-110318 Tax policies aren’t just about who gets what money | Mark Pack Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:51:58 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-110318 [...] in this respect – with the result that we end up with well intentioned policies such as the Office of the Public Guardian mired in over-complicated, expensive bureaucracy that turns what should be a great service for the [...] [...] in this respect – with the result that we end up with well intentioned policies such as the Office of the Public Guardian mired in over-complicated, expensive bureaucracy that turns what should be a great service for the [...]

]]> By: Tax policies aren’t just about who gets what money | Left Foot Forward http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-110155 Tax policies aren’t just about who gets what money | Left Foot Forward Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:38:05 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-110155 [...] in this respect – with the result that we end up with well intentioned policies such as the Office of the Public Guardian mired in over-complicated, expensive bureaucracy that turns what should be a great service for the [...] [...] in this respect – with the result that we end up with well intentioned policies such as the Office of the Public Guardian mired in over-complicated, expensive bureaucracy that turns what should be a great service for the [...]

]]> By: A new Conservative quango I quite like | Mark Pack http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-107772 A new Conservative quango I quite like | Mark Pack Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:05:01 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-107772 [...] – a particular problem with quangos as I highlighted in my experiences with the Office of the Public Guardian. Is the OPG’s poor paperwork a matter of incidental detail, a symptom of a quango that is [...] [...] – a particular problem with quangos as I highlighted in my experiences with the Office of the Public Guardian. Is the OPG’s poor paperwork a matter of incidental detail, a symptom of a quango that is [...]

]]> By: Giles McNeill http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-105793 Giles McNeill Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:37:21 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-105793 A member of the family recently was undergoing matters relating to lasting power of attorney and whilst I will not bore with needless details of the specifics, I shall just mention that the family member in question is a Great Aunt. My father has received two letters consulting on this matter from the solicitors handling the matter as had his sister and presumably a whole number of other relations all no doubt at some considerable cost. A number of telephone calls took place between my father and aunt on this matter and in the end it was determined that they didn't have to do anything! What a waste of time - when surely the aim in to make those in need have a better quality of life! A member of the family recently was undergoing matters relating to lasting power of attorney and whilst I will not bore with needless details of the specifics, I shall just mention that the family member in question is a Great Aunt. My father has received two letters consulting on this matter from the solicitors handling the matter as had his sister and presumably a whole number of other relations all no doubt at some considerable cost. A number of telephone calls took place between my father and aunt on this matter and in the end it was determined that they didn’t have to do anything! What a waste of time – when surely the aim in to make those in need have a better quality of life!

]]> By: rachelo http://www.libdemvoice.org/office-of-the-public-guardian-17415.html#comment-105787 rachelo Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:05:39 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=17415#comment-105787 I haven't had personal experience of having to deal with the OPG, but can distantly remember the consultation process which delivered what we have as the final system, as I was working at a law firm who contributed to the consultation process at the time. Essentially, the system has been designed around (and, in my opinion) for the lawyers, who are excellent at developing bureaucratic processes. This is a classic example of how 'consultation' processes are skewed in the favour of large organisations. I know this is stating the obvious, but large companies (and law firms) have time and money to give their full response and ideas to a consultation process, and its difficult for individuals who may be affected whatever is being consulted on to have a say that carries any weight. I'm not sure whether responses are weighted in any way, but I suspect that anyone who does know will be willing to enlighten me! I agree with Mark that it should certainly be reviewed come post-election. I haven’t had personal experience of having to deal with the OPG, but can distantly remember the consultation process which delivered what we have as the final system, as I was working at a law firm who contributed to the consultation process at the time.

Essentially, the system has been designed around (and, in my opinion) for the lawyers, who are excellent at developing bureaucratic processes. This is a classic example of how ‘consultation’ processes are skewed in the favour of large organisations. I know this is stating the obvious, but large companies (and law firms) have time and money to give their full response and ideas to a consultation process, and its difficult for individuals who may be affected whatever is being consulted on to have a say that carries any weight. I’m not sure whether responses are weighted in any way, but I suspect that anyone who does know will be willing to enlighten me!

I agree with Mark that it should certainly be reviewed come post-election.

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