The number of people formally assigning emergency decision-making to those they trust with a lasting power of attorney has soared by more than 180 percentage points in the last five years.
Up by more than a quarter in the last year alone, 726,000 people handed over control of their affairs to those they trust in 2015-16, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.
Lasting power of attorneys (LPAs) allow individuals to appoint a person they know and trust to act on their behalf, in the case of loss of mental capacity. LPAs grant legal authority over issues including money, property and their health.
