Receipts for annual report OPG102

[Sincerity]

I hope someone can help.
My wife became a deputy a few weeks ago for her mother who has dementia. I understand a case worker will make an introductory call in few weeks. My wife has been helping her mum manage her financial affairs through a joint account for some time now. Sadly her mum was admitted into a care home two years ago.
To cut a long story short, in preparation for the introductory call, my wife had a go at completing the annul report form OPG102 with transactions of the past two years, before she was a deputy. The problem is she has now got herself into a state of stress and anxiety because she doesn't have receipts for the "food, toiletries and sundries" spent on her mum. She is so convinced that the OPG will throw the book at her, she actually reimbursed the joint account with her own money.
Commendable as that was, I thought that would be the end of it, but my wife is still stressed that the OPG will still be unhappy that she didn't have receipts in the first place, despite the fact she has now paid for those items with her own money.
So, I suggested she phone the OPG for advice on the matter so she can put her mind at rest. But on the two occasions that she called she got so nervous she never actually asked the right questions. She has only been appointed deputy a few weeks and has got so worried she is now taken sick leave from work due to stress!
I can't see how this such a big deal. I've tried to assure her that while anything associate with the Court should be taken seriously, deputyship doesn't mean she the Sheriff of Nottingham. Unfortunately, that didn't help.

The questions are:
1) will the OPG want a financial report prior to her deputyship baring in mind these transactions are from a joint account? and 2) will the OPG take a dim view of my wife not having receipts for items purchased for her mother, having reimbursed the joint account with money from her own personal account?
Her stress levels won't hold out before the case worker makes the introductory call in a few weeks.

 

[Saffie]

Having spoken to you in the Chat room, I am so pleased that you have taken up my suggestion of posting this in a a thread. It will be noticed by a lot more people and therefore you will receive more advice from others who have been through this.

I'll just reiterate what I said in the room, that is that what happened before Deputyship was granted will be irrelevant when you complete the OPG annual report. That will only cover the year from the date of your wife's Deputyship appointment until the previous day next year.

The state of your MIL's account balances will presumably have been given correctly when the application was completed and those are the amounts with which the Deputyship will commence. Receipts for a time prior to Deputyship will not be required by the OPG.

I'd been a Deputy for 2 years before I received a visit from the OPG. I hope you will be more fortunate as I'm sure she will put your wife's mind at rest.

So, the answers to both your questions is no based on my own experience.

I am still a little confused about the joint bank account though, surely it would be simpler to have the accounts separated now to avoid confusion and make the annual report simpler. Your wife has can have access to all her mother's accounts via a Deputyship card.

It's a good idea to make spreadsheets to keep a record of all expenditure and keep the relevant receipts.
I have to say, that in my 3 year's of Deputyship, the annual report was accepted with no query and I was never asked to provide further information, nor receipts, though I did, of course keep everything.

p.s. Sorry, I see you are new so welcome to TP. If you have any worries or queries, you have come to the right place.

 

[Sincerity]

She has a spreadsheet set up already and tested it on the transactions through the joint account dating back to 2013. It's set up so she can input the income and expenditures so the totals are shown in exactly the same format as OPG102, including the summary of the report.
As for separating the joint account there is no mileage in doing that as the transactions from this account is specifically for her mum anyway.
It was not having receipts going back to 2013 that put her in a state of worry, despite passing on your comforting words that the first report will be required on the anniversary of her deputyship. She is definitely have receipts for everything now.
I'm hoping she will call the OPG again and take her time to explain her concerns and feel reassured from their view/advice on the matter. It's the only way she will get over this to be ok to return to work.
Again many thanks for your support.



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[Saffie]

I hope your wife will be able to put her worries aside once she has been reassured by the OPG eventually. I always found the annual report a worry but it always turned out OK.
Once she has done the first one I'm sure she will feel more confident.

It's a shame that more responses haven't been forthcoming as you wouldn't have to take my word for it then but more people are more familiar with LPAs.

I uderstand about the joint account as I kept our joint account as only for my husband and the main deputy account.

Good luck.

 

[Saffie]

Kassy told me that too - and it really was ok!

 

[southlucia]

As Saffie has said, your wife will only be responsible for keeping receipts and accounts from the date stamped on the deputy order. The opening balance for the first report will be from the same date. Only from this date does she need to keep accounts and receipts for what goes in and what is spent from the account. This is the date that your wife legally took over the responsibility for the account from her mother.

I’m coming up to my third year of being a deputy for my dad. I had one visit a couple of months after getting deputyship. It was quite brief and not in the least bit worrying. So far I haven’t been asked to supply any additional information for evidence other than sending the annual reports.

Please tell your wife to stop worrying.

 

[Delphie]

Another 'tell your wife to stop worrying' post coming up.

I'm a Deputy for two people so have been through a lot of the process.

Firstly, your wife will not be asked to account for anything before the start of the Deputyship.

Secondly, I have never been asked to produce receipts (I've submitted 4... or is it 5 reports in total now). I keep them of course, and/or have supporting bank statements, but I file them away in a way I understand and so far no one's been interested in having a look.

Thirdly, I know for a fact that I'm currently missing three receipts. I have the entries on a bank statement and I know what they are, but if anyone comes checking they'll just have to take my word for it as far as more detail I'm afraid. And I'm sure they would. The sums aren't exactly substantial, about £50 in total. Anything substantial not being accounted for would worry me too, but larger spends can usually be re-traced and most companies or even individuals would probably provide a duplicate invoice or receipt.

Lastly, everyone from the CoP and OPG I've had contact with so far has been lovely. Over the years I've learnt that not all the information everyone provides is necessarily completely solid, but the overall feeling I get from them is that they want to help. I think they have their hands full dealing with genuine abuses without rattling us lot, who are usually working very hard to do our best, unpaid and largely unappreciated.

 

[MeganCat]

I'm guardian for mum (same thing I think only scottish law) I've just done 1st year accounts from date of being appointed. All mums expenditure is via her guardian bank account which I control - I use the card to buy her clothes, etc so all expenditure set out on the bank statement. I'm sure the notes said that receipts will be required for expenditure over £100 - that's basically care home fees, professional fees (sale of house),
Have a good filing system and keep everything going forward and you should be fine - it sounds like your wife is on the ball and is over worrying

 

[Saffie]

The guidance I received as Deputy said that bank statements were not suffucient if supporting evidence was requested for the annual report. Further proof of accounting as well as receipts would be required.
So perhaps the scottish Guardianship is slightly different.
However, it seems that extra evidence is rarely requested so, although records still have to be kept, it's not that much of a problem.

 

[MeganCat]

I mean I use the statement to cross reference the receipts I keep so it all ties together

 

[Sincerity]

In an act of desperation, I called the OPG myself and put the phone on loud speaker so my wife could hear what they had to say. The lady was very helpful, understanding and confirmed all that you all have been saying. The report will take account from the date of deputyship, not before, the lack of receipts for the last 2 years are not an issue and more importantly she told my wife not to worry and that OPG are there to help.
My wife had got herself into such a state about this it wasn't until late into the evening of the next day, before it started to sink in. For the first time she actually spoke about going back to work on Monday.
Needless to say, these past few years have been very distressing. My wife has shown an incredible power of strength, not just for her mum but for everyone else. I believe the past few weeks have been the darkest where it has psychologically taken its toll on her. I think the deputyship brought home a realisation and this raised her stress and anxiety to an alarming level, the like I've never seen.
Saffie, I cannot thank you enough for your support. Many thanks to Kassy, Southlucia, Delphie and Megancat for your contributions and kind words of encouragement.



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