DWP Appointee query

Beenie

I am the DWP appointee for my mother who has dementia and is incapable of looking after her own finances. Her pension is paid directly to me, and I ensure that her food shopping is done, her chiropody and hairdressing paid for, and most importantly that her direct debits for utilities and care package are paid. I do this by feeding a monthly payment into her bank account.

The situation now is that my mother has gone into a residential care home, and the council want to see her bank statements. I have sent these and they are querying where her DWP payments are. I have told them that I have appointeeship and so the DWP funds are paid into my bank account.

I have supplied my mother's bank statements but would like to know if the council can ask to see my personal bank account (the one the DWP payments are made into). There is nothing to hide but I am uncomfortable about my own bank account being examined as my private purchases and standing orders are all there to be seen.

Has anyone else been in this situation?

elsien

Beenie wrote: »

I am the DWP appointee for my mother who has dementia and is incapable of looking after her own finances. Her pension is paid directly to me, and I ensure that her food shopping is done, her chiropody and hairdressing paid for, and most importantly that her direct debits for utilities and care package are paid. I do this by feeding a monthly payment into her bank account.

The situation now is that my mother has gone into a residential care home, and the council want to see her bank statements. I have sent these and they are querying where her DWP payments are. I have told them that I have appointeeship and so the DWP funds are paid into my bank account.

I have supplied my mother's bank statements but would like to know if the council can ask to see my personal bank account (the one the DWP payments are made into). There is nothing to hide but I am uncomfortable about my own bank account being examined as my private purchases and standing orders are all there to be seen.

Has anyone else been in this situation?

You could always redact your personal information and just leave your mums transactions showing.

[Deleted User]

Unless you have something to hide I don't see a problem with providing the statements.

TELLIT01

venison wrote: »

Unless you have something to hide I don't see a problem with providing the statements.

The OP's personal financial activities are of no relevance to the council so there is no reason the OP should allow them any knowledge of them. As long as the OP can show that payments made to her account on behalf of her mother have been used to support her mother there should be no reason for the council to require more than that.
From friends' experience when the council get involved with the care package the OP may need to be prepared to fight to keep her private information private.

Beenie

elsien, that's a good idea.I will do that if asked for my bank statements.

Alice_Holt

Or possibly a statement from the DWP showing pension / benefit amounts and then a summary schedule / spreadsheet linking to your mother's bank statements.

If you have online banking you may be able to print off just the DWP receipt details.

Is your mother in receipt of AA?

Beenie

Yes, my mother receives AA and I wrote to Attendance Allowance immediately she was accepted permanently at the care home. That is in the AA appointee instructions - Pension and Pension Credit seem happy with a phone call as a confirmation, and then send you a form to complete.

(venison, I can't believe that you are happy to show perfect strangers your bank statements, showing your pay or mortgage details, just because you happen to be an appointee for DWP payments. They are welcome to my mothers bank statements and info from DWP re. weekly sums due, but they are not welcome to know my private financial affairs).

Xbigman

Having had issues using my personal bank account when sorting out my late father's estate I would advise anyone looking after other people's money to open a separate bank account solely for those transactions. It makes life much simpler in the long run.



Darren