Appointeeship

Disability Focus work alongside many professionals, local authorities and private organisations across the South West.  Individuals are referred to Disability Focus through these agencies when an individual has been identified as lacking capacity to manage their own benefits and potentially benefiting from our Appointee Service.

Social and Healthcare professionals are able to refer clients to our appointeeship service, to give a trusted, independent money management service that has the clients best interest at the core of our work.

To discuss further please either contact us about the particular needs and circumstances of the client or simply download and complete our referral form by clicking HERE. Please then either email or send it to us.

After receipt of the completed referral form, together, we can agree the support required for the client being referred.

A corporate appointee is an organisation who has been recognised by DWP, like Disability Focus that has the ability and familiarity needed to manage the benefit responsibilities of a claimant.

When acting as a Deputy, the responsibility is to manage all of the individual’s financial affairs, which would include all sources of income and liabilities, assets such as property and valuables, pensions and all savings. This would be the case if the individual is assessed as being incapable of looking after their own affairs.

Corporate Appointees are responsible for looking after an individual’s benefits and possibly a small amount of savings. If an individual has an acting appointee and then needs to appoint a deputy the deputy will take over all of the above responsibilities.

An appointee can provide help to those individuals who are unable to claim the correct benefits, paying bills or managing income and outgoings. The appointee appointed can act on a temporary or permanent basis.

Appointeeship is a term used by the DWP. It is the term they use to summarise when an individual has taken legal responsibilities of receiving and managing a person’s welfare benefit entitlements.

If a person’s circumstances change then Disability Focus will need to inform DWP straight away. If an individual’s savings were to change then this could affect the amount of benefits that can be claimed.

As an acting appointee Disability Focus checks the balance for the individual each month to ensure compliance with the above. Should the threshold be reached Disability Focus would have to inform DWP.

As an acting appointee Disability Focus may request the release of any medical information under normal consent rules should the individual have a mental impairment. An appointee would also be able to sign on behalf of the individual for bank and building society interest to be paid, this would be without the deduction of income tax.

Being appointed as a corporate appointee does allow Disability Focus the authority to deal with an individual persons Post Office Account. However it does not allow Disability Focus to deal directly with capital or bank accounts or any other income belonging to the incapacitated individual.

You can view an overview of the services we provide and charges by downloading the document below.

Disability Focus Appointee Service Overview and Charges.

Following the death of the person who has a Corporate Appointee, the appointee will need to inform DWP (Department of Work & Pensions) of the change of circumstances. A copy of the death certificate may be required to substantiate the change.

Once someone starts to act for the person under a registered lasting power of attorney or is made a Deputy by the Court of Protection they will take over from the appointee in dealing with any benefits.

As part of the overall assessment the social worker should look at this aspect. They should also request more information from Disability Focus in case we would be able to help the individual further.

As part of a care assessment Social services can recommend that an appointee is necessary to help the individual.