How a Lasting Power of Attorney can help you and your loved ones

At Bernicia, we want to help you feel secure about your future. That’s why we recently hosted two sessions with Citizens Advice to talk about something important: a Lasting Power of Attorney (or LPA for short).

An LPA is a legal form that allows someone you trust to make decisions for you if you become too unwell to do so yourself. This means if anything happens to your health in the future, your family or close friends can step in to help you with things like:

• Paying your bills
• Looking after your home
• Speaking to doctors about your care
• Helping decide where you live and if you need support

There are two types of LPAs:

1. Property and Financial Affairs LPA – this helps your chosen person manage your money, home, and bills.
2. Health and Welfare LPA – this helps them make decisions about your care and daily needs, but only if you can’t make them yourself.

Without an LPA, your loved ones may have to go through a long and expensive process to get permission to help you. That’s why many people choose to set one up now, to save money and stress later on.

The sessions were held at The Garth in Durham and Willow Vale in Bedlington. Transport was offered to make sure everyone who wanted to attend could come along. Residents found the sessions very helpful, and our friends at Citizens Advice also shared other ways they can support people.

Thanks to our partnership with Citizens Advice, tenants can get help quickly – usually within 5 working days, and many have already seeing the financial benefits.

If you’d like to know more, please ask for an LPA information sheet or speak to your housing officer.

Planning ahead helps protect your future.