PIP advice please for an Appointee (new member)

Jack'sMum · 23 January 2017 at 10:07PM

Firstly I would like to say hello as I am a new member (from Kent). I have found your forum very helpful as recently I have been completing a PIP claim form for my son because I am his DWP appointee. He is visually impaired and has Asperger's Syndrome and using the RNIB's website and advise from your forum I have managed to get the form filled out and sent back within the 4 week time-frame.

I believe the next step is a medical assessment and am wondering how this works in terms of being an appointee as I was told that being an appointee means that my son is deemed as being incapable of dealing with the DWP or it's medical assessment providers. I wonder how he can be medically assessed if they say he is 'incapable of being assessed'. Could anyone advice me of how detrimental it could be to his claim if he is not allowed to have a medical assessment please?

Thanks very much for reading my first post and I would really appreciate any help or advice you can give me.

Jack's Mum

Bogalot · 23 January 2017 at 10:14PM

Having an appointee means he is not able to deal with his financial arrangements, not medical assessments. Capacity assessments are subject/ question specific.

He may not be called for an assessment but that would be because they have sufficient information to decide his claim without it.

Tolly_T · 23 January 2017 at 10:34PM

If he is called for an assessment you will have to attend this with him. They won't go ahead if you're not there. There is no reason that they won't allow him to be assessed. I expect it depends on the person involved as the ability of people with an appointee will vary significantly. Some will not be able to speak at all and if called for an assessment the appointee would need to answer the questions. In other cases the claimant will manage, possibly with help from their appointee.

Jack'sMum · 24 January 2017 at 5:16PM

Thank you both for your helpful comments, if my son gets called for an assessment I will definitely go with him.

I had to go to appeal to successfully get his DLA award so, although he would not want to go to a face to face assessment with PIP, I feel it may be the most effective way of them assessing his needs from the start. Having said that, from what I have been reading, many people are having/had horrible experiences with face to face assessments so I will just have to wait and see.

Does anyone else with Aspergers/Autism have any advise regarding these assessments please?

dizzybee · 2 February 2017 at 2:35PM

Hi, i have just gone through the same has you with my daughter, she wasn't called for assessment, but i got a phone call asking a few basic questions before they made the final desion, everything was sorted in a week.

Jack'sMum · 2 February 2017 at 6:41PM

Thank you dizzybee, that's encouraging to hear & pleased for you that it's being sorted out so quickly! Fingers crossed you manage to get the correct award without an assessment. I will post back with my progress. Thanks again.

Jack'sMum · 7 July 2017 at 2:24PM

At long last! PIP awarded! Standard rate care & enhanced mobility. 5 year award. Very pleased with that. Was really surprised by the 'enhanced' mobility, I thought he would be entitled to the standard rate for that because he can use familiar routes. Decision maker has written that he wouldn't cope with a disruption to a familiar route on his own and decided he is therefore entitled to the enhanced rate..

All in all, although a lengthy process, everything went well, face to face assessment was difficult but assessor was really nice, have had a read through the medical report & everything was very accurate.

Many thanks to all of you who advised me with his claim, particularly Alice, I am very grateful for the comprehensive and very knowledge advice xx

Alice_Holt · 7 July 2017 at 3:36PM

Jack's Mum,

That's good news. Particularly the award length.

If Jack is also in receipt of ESA (I seem to recall that he is) then do check if the Severe Disability of ESA is applicable (the Enhanced Disability Premium of c.£15 should apply because of the PIP award).
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Severe-Disability-Premium/What-is-a-Severe-Disability-Premium

If SDP can't be paid, then Carer's Allowance may be appropriate.

Best wishes.

PIP advice please for an Appointee (new member)

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