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  • Scots top Great Britain in viewing Power of Attorney as important

Scotland leads Great Britain in Power of Attorney awareness and uptake – but knowledge gap could leave many at risk 

  • 57% of Scots say Power of Attorney is important, compared with 46% across Great Britain as a whole 
  • Scottish residents most likely to have an up to date PoA – with 59% of Scots aged 70+ having one, compared to 40% across Great Britain 
  • Only 13% of people across England, Scotland and Wales say they know a lot about Power of Attorney 
  • 31% of people believe they are too young to need a Power of Attorney, despite it being available from age 16 in Scotland and 18 in England and Wales 
  • Greater public education needed to promote benefits of and tackle misconceptions  around Power of Attorney 

New research shows Scots lead the way in recognising the importance of Power of Attorney (PoA), highlighting the urgent need for better public awareness and education in Great Britain. 

Having a Power of Attorney allows a trusted person to manage an individual’s financial, legal, or healthcare decisions if they're unable to do so, potentially avoiding delays, confusion, or legal complications during emergencies or periods of incapacity. 

Nearly three fifths (57%) of Scots said that a Power of Attorney (PoA) was important, compared to under half (46%) of people in Great Britain as a whole, according to research from the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement - Power of Attorney in Scotland: Comparisons with Great Britain , conducted by Message House BPI.  

Levels of uptake and awareness 

The proportion of the population with an up-to-date PoA is higher in all age groups in Scotland and has reached 59% amongst the 70+ age group, compared with 40% for Great Britain as a whole.  The gap is narrower however for younger groups, with 14% of 50-69 year olds saying they had an up-to-date PoA in place in Scotland, compared to 9% across the nations. 

Overall, 36% of Scots said they were likely to register or update PoA in the next 2 years compared to 27% of people across Great Britain as a whole. Recent campaigns around PoA may have brought about greater knowledge of the subject3.

The Centre’s research also found misconceptions around obtaining a PoA inhibited wider uptake. For example, 31% of respondents believed they were too young to need a PoA, when they can be acquired from the age of 16 in Scotland and 18 in England and Wales. 

A PoA can be in relation to property and financial affairs or health and welfare matters. The Centre’s research considered concerns around the basic awareness of PoA: Across England, Scotland, and Wales, only 13% of people said they knew a lot about PoA. While understanding increases with age, only 18% of 50–69-year-olds, said they knew a lot about it and just 8% of all respondents had an up-to-date PoA in place.  

Cath Sermon, Head of Public Engagement and Campaigns at the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, said: “Scotland is leading the way in recognising the importance of Power of Attorney, but across Great Britain, awareness remains worryingly low. Our research shows that too many people are unprepared for life events that could leave them vulnerable. Power of Attorney isn’t just a legal formality - it’s a vital safeguard setting out who can manage your finances in the event of something happening to you. Without it, loved ones may face lengthy legal processes to gain authority, often at a time of crisis, which can delay access to essential funds and support. We urgently need better public education to dispel myths and help people understand why and how to put PoA in place now, before they need to use it.” 

The Centre’s findings echo the Financial Conduct Authority’s April 2025 report on retail banks’ treatment of customers in vulnerable circumstances, including those managing affairs through PoA. While progress has been made, the FCA stressed the need for continued education and improved customer support in regard to critical services such as bereavement and Power of Attorney. 

Encouraging greater understanding of how a PoA functions forms part of Phoenix Group’s Caring for Carer’s initiative4, which aims to help millions of people who work and care for someone with their financial wellbeing.  Many of the  estimated 5.6 million unpaid carers in Great Britain regularly assist the person they care for with their finances, according to Carers UK5.  

 

References 

1Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, March 2025:  PoA in Scotland: Comparisons with Great Britain  

22025 Financial Conduct Authority report: Retail banks’ treatment of customers in vulnerable circumstances Multi-Firm Review: good practice and areas for improvement  

3Recent campaigns on PoA include ‘Your Voice, Your Decision’, and the 2023 NHS Highland PoA Campaign, organised by Health & Social Care Scotland.  

4Phoenix Group Caring for Carers initiative  

5Carers UK: 2024 State of Caring Report and UK Census 2021/22 data  

Power of Attorney in Scotland: Comparisons with Great Britain was based on a survey of 1005 adults, nationally representative of Great Britain, conducted in November 2024, and a survey of 511 adults, representative of Scotland, conducted in April 2025 by Message House BPI for Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement. 

Media enquiries  

For further information, photos, video content or interviews, contact: 

Nathalie Lahiri 
Account Manager 
Lansons 
07917 327 833 
nathaliel@lansons.com   

John Stevenson  
Public Relations Manager 
Phoenix Group 
07977 798 752  
john.stevenson@thephoenixgroup.com 

 

Notes to editors 

About Standard Life  

Standard Life is a brand that has been trusted to look after peoples’ life savings for 200 years. 

Today it proudly serves millions of customers who come to Standard Life directly, through advisers and through their employers’ pension scheme. Standard Life is part of Phoenix Group, one of the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement businesses. We’re proud to be building on 200 years of Standard Life heritage together. 
 
Our products include a variety of Pensions, Bonds and Retirement options to suit people’s needs, helping our customers to invest and save for their future. We’re proud to offer a leading range of sustainable and responsible investment options. 
 
We support our customers on their journey to and through retirement with comprehensive, easy-to-understand guidance so they can invest in the right way for their needs and plan a future they feel confident about. 
 
The value of investments can go down as well as up and may be worth less than originally invested. 

About Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement 

Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement is a pioneering UK think tank with a bold ambition to help everyone achieve long-term financial security. 

 How we work, save, and retire is changing, and it will look different for everyone. That traditional idea of spending decades in full-time employment and then retiring with a comfortable, guaranteed income is no longer going to be a reality for most people.  

 Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement uses research to provoke fresh debate, drive action and influence change so that people can secure their financial future and enjoy a decent standard of living in their later lives. 

 It is led by Catherine Foot, a leading research and policy specialist who was appointed as the Director of the think tank under its previous brand, Phoenix Insights, in June 2021. 

Catherine has over 20 years of experience in the field. From 2015 to 2021, she was Director of Evidence at the Centre for Ageing Better. She has also held senior roles with The King’s Fund and Cancer Research UK.  

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