Scotland vs Great Britain: How much do people understand about Power of Attorney?

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When it comes to being prepared for retirement, Power of Attorney is an important part of planning. Yet, our research, conducted by Message House BPI*, shows that people in Scotland are significantly more informed, proactive, and prepared when it comes to setting up a Power of Attorney (POA) than their counterparts across Great Britain. 

What is Power of Attorney? 

A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that allows an individual to appoint someone they trust to make decisions on their behalf. These decisions can relate to: 

• Property and financial affairs – such as managing bank accounts, paying bills, or selling property. 
• Health and welfare – including decisions about medical treatment, care arrangements, and daily living. 

In Scotland, a POA can be set up from the age of 16 (18 in England and Wales), making it a vital part of early planning—not just something for later life. 

Why is Power of Attorney so important? 

The inconvenience and risks associated with not having a POA in place can be significant. Without one, families may face delays, legal costs, and emotional strain when trying to manage a loved one’s affairs. 

Power of Attorney offers: 

• Protection if you lose capacity due to illness, accident, or age. 
• Continuity in managing finances and care without disruption. 
• Clarity for families, reducing stress and potential conflict. 
• Peace of mind—many who have POA in place report feeling relieved, calm, and reassured. 

This is especially important for carers, whose responsibilities often escalate to the point where POA becomes essential for managing care and making decisions. 

Tackling inertia and misunderstanding 

A range of practical and emotional factors act as brakes and deterrents to taking action. Misconceptions, such as believing POA is only for later life, are common. In fact 31% of respondents across GB believed they were too young to need a POA, even though they can be set up from age 16 in Scotland and 18 in England. 

Against a backdrop of longer and more complex lives, it is vitally important to tackle the high levels of inertia and misunderstanding around POA. Putting one in place is easier, cheaper, and more straightforward than many assume. 

Key Findings: Scotland leads in Power of Attorney awareness and action 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download our key findings infographic

 

People in Scotland are significantly more likely to have an up-to-date POA in place, particularly if they are aged 70 years or over.  Scots are also more likely to say that they will consider putting POA in place in the next two years. Just over a third have never considered putting a Power of Attorney in place. However, most adults in Scotland don’t have an up-to-date Power of Attorney, and across Great Britain this remains worryingly low for people aged 50 – 69 years old.  

Despite this increased knowledge around Power of Attorney, most adults in Scotland say they don’t know very much about it. Scottish respondents fared only marginally better than the rest of GB, with 15% of people in Scotland saying they know a lot about POA (rising to 20% of 50–69-year-olds), compared to 13% across Great Britain saying they know a lot (rising to 18% of 50-69 year-olds).  

A call to action

While Scotland leads the way across Great Britain, considerable work remains to be done in order to increase understanding and importance of Power of Attorney with the public, particularly with people aged 50+. Many different sectors and services have an important role to play, including the financial services industry. We are calling on businesses and public bodies to review what they could do to better support public engagement on this important topic.

More detail on the GB figures published earlier this year can be found in our briefing paper “Power of Attorney, why public engagement is so low and why that matters”. 

Read the paper

* 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.’