Any benefits experts about please?

[TheFuckfaceWhisperer]

My DS (19) is autistic and severely dyspraxic, with very poor muscle tone, he's been described as being "complex". He is getting PIP at the enhanced rate...

I want to get a motorbility car to take him around as his social anxiety is getting worse as he's getting older and more aware of the world.

My question is... The PIP next payment is due a week today, next Wednesday. How long should I leave it before signing up for the car so that the payments don't start until next time, as this month's is all spoken for (DDs birthday next week), plus I don't really want a months payment coming out for a car I won't even have yet? I know by Tuesday it will be pending in the bank for the next day, but if I went on Friday would that be too late for them to process it for the payment next week? Or should I leave it until next week?

MyDC...am I doing things wrong?

Nobody raised any issues when I said how we managed,

I will be leasing a car with the Mobility component as DS cannot yet cope with bus journeys. However I suspect he will develop lots over the next five years and at that point he probably won’t need enhanced rate of PIP for mobility.

Hopefully if all is well either standard rate for both or possibly none at all.

I’ve been told that while he is in college he won’t be able to claim ESA.

You can claim esa in college, though might be in UC area. But easier to claim esa under disability rules then transfer to UC

Ah yes we are in a UC area

I’ve just found this under the role of the appointee with regard to benefits.

“spend the benefit (which is paid directly to you) in the claimant’s best interests“.

And in fact that’s what we will be doing...although I am undertaking courses to return to work in anticipation that DS will eventually achieve much more independence.

In the meantime I use the money to support DS by not working and ensuring he gets where he needs to be, helping him with washing and dressing where needed and helping him with stuff like socks and shoelaces which he finds hard.

I suspect that as he matures he will be able to do more and more of those things for himself.

Next thing though is most definitely budgeting ....we are starting small with the goal of him being able to manage a weekly budget.