Why the deputyship figure sits so far below the LPA figure
The gap between roughly 61,000 supervised deputyship orders and more than 9.3 million registered powers of attorney reflects the order in which the two arise: a Lasting Power of Attorney is set up in advance while someone still has capacity, whereas a deputyship is generally needed only where no valid power of attorney exists once capacity is lost (gov.uk, become a deputy, as at July 2026, subject to change). Many people choose to put an LPA in place precisely so that a deputyship application may not become necessary later, though whether that is right depends on individual circumstances.
Deputyship also carries its own ongoing costs and oversight that an LPA does not. Applying to become a property and financial affairs deputy involves a £421 application fee, a £100 assessment fee for a new deputy, and an annual supervision fee of £320 for general supervision or £35 for minimal supervision for some property and affairs deputies managing under £21,000 (gov.uk, deputy fees, as at July 2026, subject to change). Those figures help explain why deputyship is generally treated as the route of last resort rather than a first choice. Our Lasting Power of Attorney Explained guide covers the alternative in full, and the wider picture sits in our estate planning guide.
Deputyship statistics in Scotland and Northern Ireland
The figures above are for England and Wales, where the Court of Protection and the Office of the Public Guardian operate. Scotland has a separate system of guardianship and intervention orders overseen by the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) and the sheriff courts, so its statistics are published separately and are not part of the OPG or Ministry of Justice figures used here. Northern Ireland has its own framework under the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 as it is brought into force. Where a family spans more than one UK nation, the relevant statistics and rules differ, and it can be worth checking the position in each.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a named official source and was checked against the live publication. The two primary sources are the Office of the Public Guardian annual report and the Ministry of Justice Family Court Statistics Quarterly. Where a figure is derived rather than stated directly, that is flagged at the point of use.
- OPG Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025. Supervision caseload of 61,038 deputyship orders, prior year 60,516, register of 9,340,910 LPAs and EPAs, 1,367,053 power of attorney applications received, 53 panel deputies, and lay deputy non-compliance of 1.88%. Reference year 2024 to 2025 (OPG Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly, July to September 2025. 11,317 Court of Protection applications made, up 17%, and 14,228 orders made, up 20%, with 41% of orders relating to deprivation of liberty (MoJ FCSQ, July to September 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly, October to December 2024. 9,381 applications made, of which 34% related to appointment of a property and affairs deputy, and 10,829 orders made (MoJ FCSQ, October to December 2024, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- gov.uk, become a deputy, and deputy fees. Definitions of a deputy and deputyship order, and the £421 application fee, £100 new-deputy assessment fee, £320 general and £35 minimal annual supervision fees (gov.uk, become a deputy; gov.uk, deputy fees, as at July 2026, subject to change).
Methodology and limits. Figures are quoted as published and have not been rounded or extrapolated beyond what the sources state. The OPG caseload is a point-in-time stock; the court figures are quarterly flows, so the two are not directly comparable. The Ministry of Justice advises against comparing Court of Protection figures with data before the third quarter of 2024 because of a data-system change (MoJ FCSQ, July to September 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change). All figures are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change.
Frequently asked questions
How many deputyship orders are there in the UK?
The Office of the Public Guardian supervised 61,038 deputyship orders at the end of 2024 to 2025, up from 60,516 the year before (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change). That figure covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate systems and publish their own statistics, so a single UK-wide total is not given in this source.
How many Court of Protection applications are made each year?
Volumes are published quarterly rather than as a fixed annual figure. In July to September 2025 there were 11,317 applications made and 14,228 orders made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, up 17% and 20% respectively on the same quarter a year earlier (MoJ FCSQ, Jul-Sep 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change). The Ministry of Justice cautions against comparing with data before the third quarter of 2024.
What share of applications are for a property and affairs deputy?
Property and affairs deputy applications were the largest single category, making up 34% of applications made in October to December 2024 (MoJ FCSQ, Oct-Dec 2024, as at July 2026, subject to change). The remainder covers deprivation of liberty cases, personal welfare matters and other applications under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, so the proportions can move between quarters.
Are deputyships more common than powers of attorney?
No. Deputyship is far less common: the OPG supervised 61,038 deputyship orders against 9,340,910 LPAs and EPAs on its register at the end of 2024 to 2025 (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change). A deputyship is generally needed only where no valid power of attorney was in place before capacity was lost, which many people plan to avoid.
Is the number of deputyship orders rising?
The supervised caseload rose modestly, from 60,516 to 61,038 across the two latest financial years, a change of around 0.9% (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at July 2026, subject to change). Court application volumes rose more sharply year on year in the latest comparable quarter, though a change of court data system in 2024 means longer-run comparisons should be treated with care.
Where do these deputyship statistics come from?
The caseload figures come from the Office of the Public Guardian annual report, and the court volumes from the Ministry of Justice Family Court Statistics Quarterly, both official statistics for England and Wales (OPG; MoJ FCSQ, as at July 2026, subject to change). This page presents them as published without rounding or estimation beyond what the sources state.
About Fairchild Oldfield
The Fairchild Oldfield team brings together estate planning, tax, independent financial advice and client care, working with families across England and Wales.
Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not a firm of solicitors. This article is general information based on practical experience, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ. Figures and rules are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner, an accountant, or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider your individual circumstances.
