I've had a very odd phone call with the DWP this morning.
We received a letter in the post saying someone was coming to visit us regarding benefits next week. It was a bit vague as to why so I rang them up and discovered (in the end) it had been arranged after they received a strange phone call from dad at some point.
I had yet to inform them about his Alzheimer's or that I now have LPA (I only got it last week and have been working my way through banks and utilities first) so I explained the situation to them on the phone.
The woman I was speaking to (from the local office?) asked if I had got it through court of protection. I explained no, it was done through the OPG, but it was fully legal, had been registered, and should give me control over all his legal and financial affairs.
She replied that it probably wasn't enough, as they needed it done through the court of protection before they allow access regarding benefits!
I am now really confused. The visit is still on, only now I need to be there to show them my LPA, but it sounds as if it's not going to be enough, and I'm going to have to apply for appointeeship too.
Surely this isn't right?
We received a letter in the post saying someone was coming to visit us regarding benefits next week. It was a bit vague as to why so I rang them up and discovered (in the end) it had been arranged after they received a strange phone call from dad at some point.
I had yet to inform them about his Alzheimer's or that I now have LPA (I only got it last week and have been working my way through banks and utilities first) so I explained the situation to them on the phone.
The woman I was speaking to (from the local office?) asked if I had got it through court of protection. I explained no, it was done through the OPG, but it was fully legal, had been registered, and should give me control over all his legal and financial affairs.
She replied that it probably wasn't enough, as they needed it done through the court of protection before they allow access regarding benefits!
I am now really confused. The visit is still on, only now I need to be there to show them my LPA, but it sounds as if it's not going to be enough, and I'm going to have to apply for appointeeship too.
Surely this isn't right?