15 year old and DLA visit

bm48

My daughter will be 16 next spring and currently gets DLA (and I get carer's allowance). Both are paid to me.

Recently I received a form asking if my daughter will be able to handle her own affairs when she turns 16. My daughter is autistic, has severe speech and language delay, epilepsy (currently controlled) and is extremely vunerable.

I have now received a phone call from the DWP to arrange a visit from the DLA visiting officer to see us both at home (during the school day, they are going to see if it is possible to visit after my daughter gets home from school).

I am wary about the interview and worried that they will decide that my daughter can handle her own affairs when it is obvious that she can't. She is reluctant to speak to strangers and will answer their questions to me.

NAR

bm48 wrote: »

I am wary about the interview and worried that they will decide that my daughter can handle her own affairs when it is obvious that she can't.

Why, if it it obvious she is incapable the visiting officer will see this. I think you are reading too much into the situation.

samanthag

bm48 wrote: »

My daughter will be 16 next spring and currently gets DLA (and I get carer's allowance). Both are paid to me.

Recently I received a form asking if my daughter will be able to handle her own affairs when she turns 16. My daughter is autistic, has severe speech and language delay, epilepsy (currently controlled) and is extremely vunerable.

I have now received a phone call from the DWP to arrange a visit from the DLA visiting officer to see us both at home (during the school day, they are going to see if it is possible to visit after my daughter gets home from school).

I am wary about the interview and worried that they will decide that my daughter can handle her own affairs when it is obvious that she can't. She is reluctant to speak to strangers and will answer their questions to me.[/

i had one of these last year and honestly it is fine
like your daughter my son is autistic and has severe behaviour problems ect ect

my son attends a special school and because he attends this school the lady that came to visit didnt have to see my son as they knew by being in this school he would not be able to see to his own affairs

all they did was ask if he would be able to handle his affairs ect and then i had to sign a form to give me control to deal with his benefits
hope this helps put your mind at rest a bit
sammy

Richie-from-the-Boro

Adulthood

The renewal for DLA on behalf of your daughter is a standard requirement for any child reaching the age [ technical age ] of adulthood. I think you will find that any child receiving benefit, will when reaching the age of adulthood at 16 years will need to be him / herself themselves [ DLA1A ] responsible for the receipt and spending of that benefit income.

A few months before child's 16th birthday parents / guardian are usually sent a form asking if the child can manage their own money. It can be useful to do renewals at this age because its a good time to do a benefit check. It is however unusual to be sent a DLA renewal without the accompanying appointeeship needs being taken care of.

If they say that the child is capable, the benefit will then be in the child's name, it could still go into a parents / guardian's bank account, but all letters will be addressed to the child and they will be responsible for reporting any changes in their situation/condition as well as the money itself.

If parents / guardian's say that the child isn't capable they will get a visit, this is mainly a safeguarding procedure. Someone will visit, meets the child and makes a judgement. Generally there is nothing to be afraid of .. .. they are nice people with the child's best interests at heart and have the discretion to make their own judgements.

DLA renewal usually happens at 16, but not always, and is separate to the appointee-ship issue.

Put simply your daughter is moving from children's health services to adult health services. From being a child to being an adult. From being children's DLA to adult DLA, its just a legal thing !.You have nothing whatsoever to be afraid of. This is one of only two areas where the system is even remotely kind to people. The DLA renewal and the adulthood checks are done at the same time and on the same visit you and your child have nothing whatsoever to fear.

cheap_charlie

I recently had a similar home visit from DWP to assess my autistic daughter and it was very straightforward and nothing to worry about. They just want to see if your child understands how to deal with things such as informing them of a change of circumstance which is something I suspect would be beyond your daughter from what you say. The visit took less than 30 minutes and I was granted appointeeship for 3 years there and then.

devizes18193

cheap_charlie wrote: »

I recently had a similar home visit from DWP to assess my autistic daughter and it was very straightforward and nothing to worry about. They just want to see if your child understands how to deal with things such as informing them of a change of circumstance which is something I suspect would be beyond your daughter from what you say. The visit took less than 30 minutes and I was granted appointeeship for 3 years there and then.

Same here

They took one look at my sons safe space and nappies and a little chat and that was it no real problem at all.

bm48

Thank you for the replies. My daughter attends a special school thirty plus miles away (local LEA don't have many special schools). I am reassured by the replies.

Plumjam

I agree with all of the above having had a similar visit shortly before my child was 16. The only 2 things I would add are:

1. You cannot have DLA paid into a joint account once you are the appointee. If this is the case at the moment (as it was for me), then think about an account in your own name that it can be paid into (what you do with it once it's there is entirely up to you).

2. Be aware that DLA stops on your child's 16th birthday but starts again immediately. However, as it's paid a couple of weeks in arrears (2 or 3 - I'm not sure) and some in advance, you may find that you are a week short in the first payment after your child's birthday. To clarify (as that sound complicated even to me), I received my normal 4 weekly payment on 21st August, child was 16 on 6th September and I received next payment on 11th September but only 3 weeks worth. The next payment will pick up the 4 weekly cycle. Hope that makes sense.

Yuki60

It's absolutely right that they check on her to see if she can handle her own money. It is her money after all not yours and a lot of parents do try and hold onto it for themselves. Not saying you do i'm just saying you have to play the game and they have to check themselves how she is and have to act in the childs best interests not yours.

sky-summer

Attention: Richie-from-the-Boro if I may please.

I have just received one of these letters. May I ask a few questions please just to make things clear in my mind?

You state:
If they say that the child is capable, the benefit will then be in the child's name, it could still go into a parents / guardian's bank account, but all letters will be addressed to the child and they will be responsible for reporting any changes in their situation/condition as well as the money itself.
(I can not find anywhere on the letter that states "all letters will be addressed to the child etc") - and you dont get a home visit.

My daugher has ME and Chronic Pain Syndrome. I am not convinced she is able to manage her own money - she could not deal with bills and dates that they need paying and making sure she had the money in her account to cover them. So it would still have to go into my account. She is hoping to go to college to do a 16 hr a week Art course (16 hours is the most education she has ever been able to do, partly at school and partly home tutor) - so she needs help.

But I am very sure she could not manage the benefits system and all that entails. So I am at a lost what to do and which box to tick as it where.

Advice please - thanks in advance.

Richie-from-the-Boro

sky-summer wrote: »

Attention: Richie-from-the-Boro if I may please.

I have just received one of these letters. May I ask a few questions please just to make things clear in my mind?

You state:
If they say that the child is capable, the benefit will then be in the child's name, it could still go into a parents / guardian's bank account, but all letters will be addressed to the child and they will be responsible for reporting any changes in their situation/condition as well as the money itself.
(I can not find anywhere on the letter that states "all letters will be addressed to the child etc") - and you dont get a home visit.

My daugher has ME and Chronic Pain Syndrome. I am not convinced she is able to manage her own money - she could not deal with bills and dates that they need paying and making sure she had the money in her account to cover them. So it would still have to go into my account. She is hoping to go to college to do a 16 hr a week Art course (16 hours is the most education she has ever been able to do, partly at school and partly home tutor) - so she needs help.

But I am very sure she could not manage the benefits system and all that entails. So I am at a lost what to do and which box to tick as it where.

Advice please - thanks in advance.

sky-summer,

- is capable, or otherwise is determined by your unemotional and objective 'visitor'
- what you call capable or otherwise, they call 'transition', and that's what it is .. .. adulthood
- there is almost no scenario where you don't get a home visit, it covers home and social life
- that one~2~one visit must be in person to determine an objective outcome

The fact of the matter is your visitor will decide, what in terms of letters, or whose bank account will be determined by appointee-ship, at the visit stage. You have nothing to fear the focus is on the needs and capability of the young persons transition into adulthood. From their point of view they will consider your child's independence in terms of, social life, education or training, housing and living, family, lifestyle and finances.

There are thousands of posters on this very board who harboured the same misgivings as you initially and who now post supportive and positive comments, you too will find nothing other than a very nice helping hand being offered by the 'visitor' to both you and your girl-child. One of my last sentences says it all, "this is one of only two areas where the system is even remotely kind to people"" you too will find it to be just that way. Try not to worry, tell them your fears, ask any questions you need to. A couple of months from now you, like others before you, and many other yet to follow will wonder why you got your knickers in a twist over this !

Hold tight sky, you'll have nothing to worry about, I know you wont believe a word I say and that's understandable. You've spent your young lifetime single-mindedly devoting yourself to this task, but your little girl is about to be an adult in the eyes of the law, and the legal transition has to be made in the child's - soon to be an adult's interest.

Best of luck & best wishes !