Use an LPA Service: How to Get and Share Your LPA Access Code

What the Use an LPA Service Does

For a Lasting Power of Attorney registered on or after 1 January 2016, the registration letter includes an activation key for adding the LPA to a Use an LPA account. The donor or an attorney can then generate a 13-character access code starting with "V." This code allows banks, care homes, hospitals, and other organisations to verify the attorney's powers digitally.

The service sits at use-lasting-power-of-attorney.service.gov.uk and has two sides: one for attorneys (to create and manage access codes) and one for organisations (to look up an LPA using a code the attorney has shared).

How to Get Your Access Code

You will need a GOV.UK One Login account to access the service. If you do not have one, you can create it during the sign-in process.

After signing in, use the activation key from the registration letter to add the relevant LPA to your account. Select it and choose "Give an organisation access." The system generates a unique code that is valid for 50 days.

Each code is linked to a specific organisation or use case. You can create multiple codes simultaneously — one for the bank, one for the GP surgery, one for the care home — and each operates independently. If a code expires before the organisation uses it, you can generate a new one.

What Organisations See When They Check a Code

When a bank or care provider enters the access code on the organisation side of the service, they see a summary of the LPA that confirms:

The names of the donor and attorneys. The type of LPA (Property and Financial Affairs, or Health and Welfare). Whether the attorneys act jointly, jointly and severally, or in a hybrid arrangement. Any instructions or preferences the donor added in Section 7. The registration date.

This digital verification gives the organisation the information it needs to verify the LPA and the attorney without relying on the physical paper document.

When Organisations Refuse the Digital Code

Despite the service being an official OPG system, some organisations — particularly high-street bank branches — still insist on seeing the physical paper LPA. This is more common at branch level than at the bank's central bereavement or power of attorney team.

If a branch refuses to accept the digital code, escalate to the bank's dedicated LPA or bereavement team (usually reachable by phone, not through the branch). Request their internal process for registering an LPA and ask them to verify the code through the Use an LPA service directly.

If the bank continues to refuse, you have the right to make a formal complaint and, if unresolved, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service. A registered LPA verified through the OPG's official service remains legally binding, but the organisation may still require its own compliance checks or the paper document.

Banks that have their own LPA registration process may require the attorney to complete internal paperwork in addition to the digital verification. This can delay access while the bank completes its internal compliance checks.

Practical Tips

Generate codes before you need them. If a parent is in the early stages of cognitive decline, create access codes for their main bank, building society, pension provider, and GP surgery now. Having the codes ready avoids delays if the parent's condition deteriorates suddenly.

Keep track of expiry dates. Codes last 50 days. If an organisation is slow to process the registration, you may need to generate a fresh code.

The donor can also use the service. If the donor still has capacity and wants to check that the LPA is registered correctly, they can sign in and view the same information. This can be reassuring for donors who want to verify what powers they have granted.

For a full walkthrough of registering your LPA with banks and the steps to take if an organisation refuses your access code, our Lasting Power of Attorney guide includes bank-specific registration instructions and escalation letter templates.

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