Appointee Not Giving Person Her PIP Money Advice

XxDarkMarioxX

Advice the person has moved out because she not happy living at her house due to toxic relecationship and moved back home with dad and brothers to take some time away. The Appontee is not giving her the money that she needs for food and drink while she staying at her dads house and threating to call PIP and cancel her claim because she wants her back at her house. She 23 years old and she an adult who can make choices. apointee is not givering her chance to think keeps sending messages after messages saying you runied christmas and she getting upset she not replayed to her messages. Any advice because she got no money and she lending of her brothers she did give money last month but not all off her pip. Feels like she trying to control her  finance and such

tacpot12

Appointees are required to spend the money they receive for the claimant in the best interests of the claimant. They don't have any choice in this - other than to give up their appointeeship. Appointees go through a serious process to ensure that they are fit to manage someone elses money. The appointee IS trying to control the person's finances. They have given a commitment to the DWP to do so!

The problem of the toxic relationship is difficult because someone probably need to manage the money for the person. If it not the current appointee, who could this be? Would her father take on the job and would they be capable of managing this? They would have to deal with all the mail from the DWP, and complete renewal forms for the claimant when PIP needs renewing, and might need to go to court to appeal DWP decisions.

If there is someone who would be prepared and able to do it, it would be sensible for that person to have a sensible discussion with the current appointee, so see if a) they would be prepared to give up their appointeeship and b) to learn more about what the role entails. 

In the meantime, it would be best if someone in the family talked to the appointee about getting her some money for food and a contribution to fuel. 

The appointee has also given a commitment that they will tell the DWP about any change in the claimant's condition that might mean they no longer qualify for the benefit that has been claimed. So the DWP would normally be expected to act on a request from the appointee to cancel PIP. Given that a threat has been made to cancel PIP I would suggest that, for the moment, no-one does anything. Such threats are often made in haste and quickly regretted. Calling the DWP and reporting the threat is just likely to make the relationship problems worse. I would recommend that the client only calls the DWP if the appointee confirms that they have cancelled the client's claim. I would expect that if action is taken promptly, the DWP will investigate and keep the claim open until they understand what is going on. 

XxDarkMarioxX

tacpot12 said:

Appointees are required to spend the money they receive for the claimant in the best interests of the claimant. They don't have any choice in this - other than to give up their appointeeship. Appointees go through a serious process to ensure that they are fit to manage someone elses money. The appointee IS trying to control the person's finances. They have given a commitment to the DWP to do so!

The problem of the toxic relationship is difficult because someone probably need to manage the money for the person. If it not the current appointee, who could this be? Would her father take on the job and would they be capable of managing this? They would have to deal with all the mail from the DWP, and complete renewal forms for the claimant when PIP needs renewing, and might need to go to court to appeal DWP decisions.

If there is someone who would be prepared and able to do it, it would be sensible for that person to have a sensible discussion with the current appointee, so see if a) they would be prepared to give up their appointeeship and b) to learn more about what the role entails. 

In the meantime, it would be best if someone in the family talked to the appointee about getting her some money for food and a contribution to fuel. 

There trying very hard to talk to her about giving her money for food and such but she making excuses and its getting close to winter now

poppy12345

tacpot12 said:

 Appointees go through a serious process to ensure that they are fit to manage someone elses money.

No they don't at all. Becoming an appointee for someone is a very simple process. When i became an appointee for my daughter i had a visit from someone from DWP at home, which literally took 5 minutes and that was that. They left and a week later i had a letter in the post with proof of being her appointee.... zero checks were completed. This was for PIP.

When i became an appointee for her with her UC claim, it was literally completed through a very quick phone call.

Yes an appointee is supposed act in the best interests of the claimant but DWP do not ever check that this is being done.

OP your sister can remove the appointee from her claim. Details how to do that is here. https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/removing-an-appointee/

You also said she's capable of making decisions for herself, is she also capable of managing her own benefits claim? If she is then she will not need another appointee to be set up.