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Appointee for adult son with drug addiction problems
- Sue G
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1 month 1 week ago #294282 by Sue G
Appointee for adult son with drug addiction problems was created by Sue G
Hello. I am a newly registered member of the forum so hope I am doing this correctly. My son wanted me to talk to PIP on his behalf, he isn't good at explaining things and gets easily flustered and annoyed. I have now been made his appointee and have taken over talking to PIP/ESA and also taken over his finances due to his very poor budgeting skills.
When he had his phone assessment the assessor got the impression of someone who manages mentally quite well. This is the opposite of how things are, however my son knows how to be polite and would have kept his anxiety in check for the short time of the assessment. He gave the impression that he manages his money which is far from the truth. He has a drugs problem which together with the side effects of his medication means he can manager better on some days, when he needs to, than others. However he does tend to disappear down a 'rabbit hole' for days and reappear with no money left, no electricity etc. Not sure how to explain this in the MR I am starting on his behalf as any attempt to get help with his mental status always results in failure. He has had problems for years and never properly addressed them.
I am also needing to explain in the MR that the fact he has only one working arm means he is unable to cook a 'simple meal' without supervision. At the moment PIP have him down as ok as he can cook chicken nuggets and toast! Any help advice or pointing in the right direction on the many guides will be much appreciated. thank you
When he had his phone assessment the assessor got the impression of someone who manages mentally quite well. This is the opposite of how things are, however my son knows how to be polite and would have kept his anxiety in check for the short time of the assessment. He gave the impression that he manages his money which is far from the truth. He has a drugs problem which together with the side effects of his medication means he can manager better on some days, when he needs to, than others. However he does tend to disappear down a 'rabbit hole' for days and reappear with no money left, no electricity etc. Not sure how to explain this in the MR I am starting on his behalf as any attempt to get help with his mental status always results in failure. He has had problems for years and never properly addressed them.
I am also needing to explain in the MR that the fact he has only one working arm means he is unable to cook a 'simple meal' without supervision. At the moment PIP have him down as ok as he can cook chicken nuggets and toast! Any help advice or pointing in the right direction on the many guides will be much appreciated. thank you
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- Gary
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1 month 1 week ago #294287 by Gary
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by Gary on topic Appointee for adult son with drug addiction problems
Hi Sue G
Welcome to the forum.
You might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is; www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/faq/forum.
The first thing you need to do is contact DWP and ask for a copy of the assessors report called a PA4.
When you have the assessors report, you will have a better understanding of how the DWP Decision Maker has come to their conclusions and you will now be able to argue against them.
I usually use a highlighter to highlight any inaccuracies, once you have gone through the report you then set out why you are applying for a MR and go through each descriptor one at a time why you disagree with the assessor and try and match it with any supporting documents you may have sent in.
Understand that the assessor is offering an opinion when they say 'in my opinion' your son can do the PIP activities, tackling these head-on is unlikely to be successful, you need to show that the basis of that opinion is founded on incorrect information, so try and refer to your evidence to undermine what they have said, remember they are just an opinion which is not based on fact.
Also, try and stick to issues that lead to your son scoring points, I often hear members referring to the assessors spelling, as an example, whilst it may show a lack of professionalism, raising it as an issue isn't going to help you get an award.
Your primary task is to show that your son meets the criteria, there are many reasons he may have failed, you need to address each of these but don't get bogged down in criticising the assessment report unless you can clearly show that it is incorrect, it is a lot easier to argue the facts of the situation.
Lastly, make sure that you understand the criteria that your son is being assessed against, you can put the best case forward that is possible but you won't score points if you do not meet the PIP Descriptors.
The first stage to challenging a Decision is for you to request a Mandatory Reconsideration, this needs to be done in writing to the DWP, within one month of the Decision, to the office that dealt with your claim, have a look at our PIP MR & Appeal guide; benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/pip
For the CRMR1 form to initiate your MR; www.gov.uk/government/publications/chall...ork-and-pensions-dwp
When you have a better idea of the issues with your son's claim, come back to the forum and we will do our best to help.
Gary
Welcome to the forum.
You might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is; www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/faq/forum.
The first thing you need to do is contact DWP and ask for a copy of the assessors report called a PA4.
When you have the assessors report, you will have a better understanding of how the DWP Decision Maker has come to their conclusions and you will now be able to argue against them.
I usually use a highlighter to highlight any inaccuracies, once you have gone through the report you then set out why you are applying for a MR and go through each descriptor one at a time why you disagree with the assessor and try and match it with any supporting documents you may have sent in.
Understand that the assessor is offering an opinion when they say 'in my opinion' your son can do the PIP activities, tackling these head-on is unlikely to be successful, you need to show that the basis of that opinion is founded on incorrect information, so try and refer to your evidence to undermine what they have said, remember they are just an opinion which is not based on fact.
Also, try and stick to issues that lead to your son scoring points, I often hear members referring to the assessors spelling, as an example, whilst it may show a lack of professionalism, raising it as an issue isn't going to help you get an award.
Your primary task is to show that your son meets the criteria, there are many reasons he may have failed, you need to address each of these but don't get bogged down in criticising the assessment report unless you can clearly show that it is incorrect, it is a lot easier to argue the facts of the situation.
Lastly, make sure that you understand the criteria that your son is being assessed against, you can put the best case forward that is possible but you won't score points if you do not meet the PIP Descriptors.
The first stage to challenging a Decision is for you to request a Mandatory Reconsideration, this needs to be done in writing to the DWP, within one month of the Decision, to the office that dealt with your claim, have a look at our PIP MR & Appeal guide; benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/pip
For the CRMR1 form to initiate your MR; www.gov.uk/government/publications/chall...ork-and-pensions-dwp
When you have a better idea of the issues with your son's claim, come back to the forum and we will do our best to help.
Gary
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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