When a person isn’t able to manage their own benefit support, an appointee may be required to do it on their behalf. Whether because of mental incapacity or severe physical disabilities, there are plenty of reasons why you might look at becoming a benefit appointee.
What Is an Appointee?
An appointee is a person that manages another person’s benefits. Appointees don’t have control over all of a person’s money, just their benefits. Usually an appointee will have the benefits of the person they are caring for paid into their account. This allows them to manage and budget the income in the person’s best interests.
Typically, a friend or relative of the person receiving benefits will be the one becoming a benefit appointee. But the responsibility can be given to an organisation, like a local council or a solicitor.
How Do I Become an Appointee?
Becoming a benefit appointee requires you to contact the right department, depending on the benefit support being received.
You can find out more about the various benefits you can claim in our “What Can You Claim?” guide. Contact details for different benefit support services can be found on Benefits Guide.
If you’re becoming a benefit appointee for tax credits, a different process is required.
After the process has been started, the Department for Work and Pensions will arrange a visit to assess if an appointee is required. They will then interview you to ensure you’re suitable to provide benefit support. During this interview, you will fill out an application form to support your appointment. Finally, if the Department for Work and Pensions agrees that you should be an appointee, you will receive a letter informing you of this decision.
Receiving the acceptance letter will be the last step before becoming a benefit appointee.
What Are an Appointee’s Responsibilities?
There are many responsibilities that an appointee must handle when providing benefit support. These include:
Managing all benefit support for the person you’re appointed to
You must be aware of all the benefits you are claiming on behalf of the person you are appointed to. This includes making sure they’re being paid the right amount. You should also ensure they are receiving the correct benefit support. All legal responsibility for the benefits falls on the appointee. If mistakes are made, you must take responsibility for them.
Spending benefit support correctly
Any money provided by benefit support should be spent in the best interests of the person you are appointed to. This includes giving them the best possible quality of life. While living costs are essential, opportunities for things they enjoy should also be considered where possible. It is important to keep a record of spending to ensure you know where their money is going.
Reporting changes in circumstances
One of the most important responsibilities after becoming a benefit appointee is to inform the Department of Work and Pensions about any changes regarding the person you’re appointed to. For example, if their savings have increased, they may be entitled to less money each month. Failure to report changes may incur fines and further punishments which may affect both you and the person you are appointed to.
Respond to letters
Any letters or communications regarding benefit support rely on you to take action. Most of the time, letters will be addressed to the appointee, but mistakes can happen. It’s important to keep on top of letters from the Department of Work and Pensions, and respond to any contact promptly. Failure to do so could impact the benefits received by the person you’re appointed to.
Manage housing benefit and council tax
While not always necessary, appointees are able to manage a person’s Housing Benefit and Council Tax. This usually has to be arranged with the local authority, but is typically a simple process if you are already an appointee for the person. When managing Council Tax, it’s important to find any reductions or exemptions the person you’re appointed to may be eligible for. It’s your responsibility to help them wherever possible.
What If I Need to Appeal a Decision?
There may be times when a benefit support claim or issue has to be appealed by you. Don’t be afraid to stand up for the person you’re appointed to. It’s in your hands to make sure they get what they’re entitled to. Mistakes may happen, and if they do, it’s likely that you will be the only person able to correct them. For a lot of benefit support claims, you can request a written statement outlining why a decision has been made. If you disagree with that decision, you can request mandatory reconsideration.
Mandatory reconsideration gives the Benefits Office an opportunity to see new evidence that may support the claim. They are then able to make a new decision based upon your appeal.
More Useful Benefits
As a benefit appointee, if is useful to know what benefits the person in your care may be eligible for. You can find more information in our guide to benefits for elderly people.
Some examples of other benefits include:
Extra Support from Careline365
If the person you are appointed to needs extra support at home, you may want to purchase a personal alarm for extra peace of mind. A Careline365 alarm means they can request help at any time.
If there is an emergency, they simply press the button on their pendant alarm. This sends an alert to our 24/7 Care Team, who will then communicate with emergency contacts to arrange support.
Choosing a Careline365 alarm means both you and the person you are appointed to can be reassured that help is always available. This means neither of you will need to worry if you cannot always be with them.
For further reassurance, our Fall Detector and GPS alarms come with additional benefits.
To find out more about our personal alarm service, check out our in-depth guide. Alternatively, get in touch with our helpful team by calling 0800 101 3333.
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