Has anyone been told they are not listed as an appointee UC

daydream_believer

Hi,
My Son is in receipt of UC with LCWRA and I am his Appointee, I have the letter confirming I am his DWP appointee and his UC is paid into my bank account.
He recently had a letter about Warm Home discount which initially I thought he would be ineligible as the energy bills are in my name, but on further checking it seems that as I am his appointee he does have entitlement.
I rang the helpline this morning as advised in the letter and the lady confirmed his name, d.o.b, address and what benefits he has, after I confirmed all these she then said she was unable to process it as I am not listed as his Appointee on his UC records. Thing is she never even asked for my name so I assume he isn't listed as having any appointee.
Has anyone else had this issue? 
I did put a note on his UC journal but haven't had any response.

huckster

Yes this is a common issue. You may have registered as appointee for some benefits, but DWP does not automatically add this to Universal Credit.  You would need to attend Job Centre with ID documents for yourself and they would have to go through a process of verifying on the UC claim.  

daydream_believer

Thanks for your reply. I will give them a ring. The crazy thing is that I have been his appointee since 2016 for PIP but when we claimed UC they renewed the appointee side of things and UC sent someone to our house for an appointment to verify everything and yet they haven't even put me on their records.

poppy12345

Usually you have to be named on an energy account to be entitled to the WHD. Although you are his appointee he's still named as the benefit claimant. https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income

NedS

daydream_believer said:

Thanks for your reply. I will give them a ring. The crazy thing is that I have been his appointee since 2016 for PIP but when we claimed UC they renewed the appointee side of things and UC sent someone to our house for an appointment to verify everything and yet they haven't even put me on their records.

That's poor. It sounds like they have done the home visit to confirm you are the appointee, but then not completed the task on the UC system to verify you as the appointee and add the marker.

When they did the home visit, did they confirm to you verbally at the time that they still considered it appropriate for your son to have an appointee? Just wondering if you received any kind of feedback or letter from that visit?

daydream_believer

poppy12345 said:

Usually you have to be named on an energy account to be entitled to the WHD. Although you are his appointee he's still named as the benefit claimant. https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income

I thought the same when we first got the letter but on the back of the letter it states that either 'you, your partner or your DWP appointee' have to be named on the energy account and I'm his appointee and the energy bill is in my name, the WHD helpline confirmed he would be eligible, its just the not showing as appointee on his UC account thats causing an issue. 

daydream_believer

NedS said:

daydream_believer said:

Thanks for your reply. I will give them a ring. The crazy thing is that I have been his appointee since 2016 for PIP but when we claimed UC they renewed the appointee side of things and UC sent someone to our house for an appointment to verify everything and yet they haven't even put me on their records.

That's poor. It sounds like they have done the home visit to confirm you are the appointee, but then not completed the task on the UC system to verify you as the appointee and add the marker.

When they did the home visit, did they confirm to you verbally at the time that they still considered it appropriate for your son to have an appointee? Just wondering if you received any kind of feedback or letter from that visit?

Hi, yes I have the letter confirming that I am his official appointee. His UC is paid into my account, its all a bit strange.

tomtom256

The appointee sided of UC has changed over the last few years as it didn't work well.
Drop a journal mesage or nip into to your local jobcentre and then can sort it for you. If droping in just take ID.
They will verify it from other records. It may have already been done, but not pinned, but if redone it now pins a non-removable message to the claim to let anybody accessing it know the claimant has an appointee. It's a much better way of highlighting now.

daydream_believer

Just a quick update.
So he is (theoretically) entitled to the WHD payment and I am definitely listed as his appointee on UC, but because DWP have failed to pass over the information that I am his appointee  to the WHD before the letter to say he may be entitled was sent out it is now too late and nothing can be done, so basically he has to lose out on the WHD because of DWP incompetence.

HillStreetBlues

daydream_believer said:

Just a quick update.
So he is (theoretically) entitled to the WHD payment and I am definitely listed as his appointee on UC, but because DWP have failed to pass over the information that I am his appointee  to the WHD before the letter to say he may be entitled was sent out it is now too late and nothing can be done, so basically he has to lose out on the WHD because of DWP incompetence.

I don't like "nothing can be done"  it's like saying we made an error, you lost money, tough" it's a DWP official error.
I would be making a compliant (others might tell you if there is a process to before that)
Also be involving your local MP