Appointeeship/POA registration with the DWP

[Kate_S]

Hello everyone. The DWP have given me appointeeship for my Aunt's Pension Credit ( just over £7 per week!). Her state retirement pension is being paid into her other bank account, and I do not have access to this as i have not got overall control of her finances . I am in the process of applying to the court of protection and i know this can take months. Do you think the DWP will let me have access to her retirement pension as well? I have already been sent an invoice for her care home , but I cannot pay this until we have sold her house and put a charging order on it.I also need to pay for her hairdressing and chiropody at the home, but the £7 per week is not likely to pay for it all. I do have some money myself, but it seems daft that her own money is sitting in a bank account which can't be used for her care.
Sorry if this has been brought up before, but I am not sure what to do. this is all very new for me

 

[jenniferpa]

If you're an appointee you should definitively be able to access your aunt's state pension. Not any private pensions but definitely state. I'm rather surprised this wasn't mentioned at the time you became the appointee. You'll have to have the money paid into an account you control, but that's about it.

 

[KazzyF]

Apointeeship

Hi
I am just going through this with my Mother.
I am an Accountant so I guess I am happy to chat with finance bods, but the legal hoops people make you jump through is ridiculous.

I have appointeeship for the DWP pension but could not apply for Court of Protection as the Consultant who was going to complete the COP3 for me for free is now off sick and will be for some time. The Locum who did the diagnosis couldn't and the GP was too much of a wimp! All of the other Consultants refused to do it without involving solicitors, which would have been too expensive for me or my Mother. (Very little savings and I have kids to sort out)

So I phoned the payroll department of the occupational pension provider. I explained the situation carefully to them. In the end they have agreed (after I was crying down the phone!) that if I send them confirmation of the diagnosis (Lovely Locum gave me a letter which I had certified by a Solicitor for £5) together with the appointeeship from the DWP and proof that Mum is in a home (I need her pensions to pay the fees) then they will pay the pension direct to me. I am just waiting for confirmation! Fingers crossed.

I have spoken to the bank who no way Jose will do it. I am going to wait a while and try again I think - I may even write to them with the certified Documents and try that way rather than a phone call. But at least I will have the income we need to pay her bills.

Don't give up. the more noise you make the more likely you will be able to get this sorted.

Also I would suggest calling the Care Home finance team and explaining about the money. When I did this they were fine about it all and just asked me to let them know when we ran out of available money.

It has been a VERY slow journey and my route is not conventional but I think I can spot a glimmer of light!

Good luck

 

[Kate_S]

Hi
I am just going through this with my Mother.
I am an Accountant so I guess I am happy to chat with finance bods, but the legal hoops people make you jump through is ridiculous.

I have appointeeship for the DWP pension but could not apply for Court of Protection as the Consultant who was going to complete the COP3 for me for free is now off sick and will be for some time. The Locum who did the diagnosis couldn't and the GP was too much of a wimp! All of the other Consultants refused to do it without involving solicitors, which would have been too expensive for me or my Mother. (Very little savings and I have kids to sort out)

So I phoned the payroll department of the occupational pension provider. I explained the situation carefully to them. In the end they have agreed (after I was crying down the phone!) that if I send them confirmation of the diagnosis (Lovely Locum gave me a letter which I had certified by a Solicitor for £5) together with the appointeeship from the DWP and proof that Mum is in a home (I need her pensions to pay the fees) then they will pay the pension direct to me. I am just waiting for confirmation! Fingers crossed.

I have spoken to the bank who no way Jose will do it. I am going to wait a while and try again I think - I may even write to them with the certified Documents and try that way rather than a phone call. But at least I will have the income we need to pay her bills.

Don't give up. the more noise you make the more likely you will be able to get this sorted.

Also I would suggest calling the Care Home finance team and explaining about the money. When I did this they were fine about it all and just asked me to let them know when we ran out of available money.

It has been a VERY slow journey and my route is not conventional but I think I can spot a glimmer of light!

Good luck

Thanks very much for your advice!

 

[Kate_S]

Hello everyone. The DWP have given me appointeeship for my Aunt's Pension Credit ( just over £7 per week!). Her state retirement pension is being paid into her other bank account, and I do not have access to this as i have not got overall control of her finances . I am in the process of applying to the court of protection and i know this can take months. Do you think the DWP will let me have access to her retirement pension as well? I have already been sent an invoice for her care home , but I cannot pay this until we have sold her house and put a charging order on it.I also need to pay for her hairdressing and chiropody at the home, but the £7 per week is not likely to pay for it all. I do have some money myself, but it seems daft that her own money is sitting in a bank account which can't be used for her care.
Sorry if this has been brought up before, but I am not sure what to do. this is all very new for me

Thanks very much, I will get on to the DWP again!!

 

[garnet72]

If it helps, I have been made DWP appointee for my aunt and uncle who both have dementia and in a care home.
When the DWP came to visit as I live 200 miles away, the lady who came made me appointee for the Attendance Allowance (which I had applied for on behalf of uncle and auntie) and also said she would arrange for their respective state pensions to be paid into the bank account I had to set up (in my own name) as it was useless having it put into a post office account and bank account respectively, where it could not currently be accessed.

I should point out that the solicitor is in the process of applying through Court of Protection as their affairs are too complicated for me to administer.

I went ahead with the AA application because the DWP said that if I was willing to be considered as appointee, they could start processing the AA application right away, otherwise they would have to wait for the COP to appoint a deputy before they could make a start.

Their AA was awarded at the higher rate is being paid into the account I set up, and although I haven't seen the state pension going into the same account yet, (it has only been a few weeks), I will be investigating when the DWP will start paying that into the account as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[KazzyF]

If it helps, I have been made DWP appointee for my aunt and uncle who both have dementia and in a care home.
When the DWP came to visit as I live 200 miles away, the lady who came made me appointee for the Attendance Allowance (which I had applied for on behalf of uncle and auntie) and also said she would arrange for their respective state pensions to be paid into the bank account I had to set up (in my own name) as it was useless having it put into a post office account and bank account respectively, where it could not currently be accessed.

I should point out that the solicitor is in the process of applying through Court of Protection as their affairs are too complicated for me to administer.

I went ahead with the AA application because the DWP said that if I was willing to be considered as appointee, they could start processing the AA application right away, otherwise they would have to wait for the COP to appoint a deputy before they could make a start.

Their AA was awarded at the higher rate is being paid into the account I set up, and although I haven't seen the state pension going into the same account yet, (it has only been a few weeks), I will be investigating when the DWP will start paying that into the account as well.

Hope this helps.

How do I find out if my Mum is eligible for attendance allowance?? She is in a care home, but only gets DWP and the occupational pension.
Cheers
K

 

[jenniferpa]

Kazzy - is your mother self-funding? Or is she receiving any funding help from the LA? If the latter, then she wouldn't be eligible for AA anyway. Please note - the nursing contribution doesn't count as LA funding (because that's an NHS payment).

 

[KazzyF]

Kazzy - is your mother self-funding? Or is she receiving any funding help from the LA? If the latter, then she wouldn't be eligible for AA anyway. Please note - the nursing contribution doesn't count as LA funding (because that's an NHS payment).

thanks that makes it clear. She is LA funded - although they do take all available funds from her! Understand now. Sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed with all of this - paperwork/legalities/have I cancelled things/Have I done the right thing - endless!! Oh well off to bed. Reading a comedy to try to cheer me up.