Applications for a Lasting Power of Attorney to be made free for Singaporeans from April 1: MSF

About 404,000 or one in seven Singapore citizens have made an LPA as of Feb 20.SINGAPORE - To encourage more Singaporeans to plan early for their future, including end of life scenarios, the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Form 1 applications will be made free of charge for all Singapore citizens from April 1.Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming announced the permanent waiver on March 5 in Parliament, noting that about 404,000 or one in seven Singapore citizens have made an LPA as of Feb 20.Among those aged above 65 years old, 197,000 or about one in four have done so.Mr Goh was responding to a parliamentary question by Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) on whether the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) had completed its consideration to further extend the fee waiver for Singaporeans.The application fee for LPA Form 1, which is usually $70, had previously been waived for Singapore citizens by the ministry until March 31.For non-citizens, the application fee is $90 for Permanent Residents and $230 for Foreigners.The MSF had previously set a goal in 2023 to have more than 240,000 Singaporeans aged 50 and above make their LPAs by end-2025.“In the last few years, with the launch of the Office of Public Guardian’s Online portal and more visible legacy planning campaigns islandwide, we have seen a healthy uptake of LPA applications,” said Mr Goh.“But many still have not made an LPA.”An LPA allows people to appoint a trusted person, usually a family member, to take charge of matters like personal welfare, property and finances if they lose mental capacity. The LPA Form 1, which grants general powers to donees, is the most commonly used option to do so, accounting for about 98 per cent of LPAs created by Singapore citizens.For those who require customised powers beyond the standard provisions, the LPA Form 2 must be drafted by a qualified lawyer.Those who make LPAs are known as donors, while the people they appoint are called donees.Mr Goh said: “We want to continue to urge Singaporeans to make their LPA. It is best to do so while we are still fit and healthy, and even more so as we know our population is aging.”“Having an LPA in place will allow Singaporeans and our loved ones to have peace of mind, knowing ther eis someone we trust who will have the legal authority to make decisions on our behalf, when we no longer can.”Applicants of an LPA must also pay a separate certification fee to a Certificate Issuer. Accredited doctors, lawyers and registered psychiatrists can act as Certificate Issuers.MSF said that as of June 2025, the 10 most visited accredited doctors charge fees ranging from $24 to $60, lawyers from $50 to $300 and psychiatrists from $24 to $1,500.Mr Yip said some seniors still find it difficult to understand what an LPA is, and asked whether the ministry is doing more to make application process easier by making it available in other languages for seniors.Mr Goh said MSF is working on simplifying the messaging, like legal and medical terms, involved in the process of making a LPA. It will also continue to engage all Singaporeans in different languages.Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here