Managing PIP at 16. How?

[PIPHelp]

DS 16 has just been awarded enhanced rate of both elements of PIP; he’s moved over from child DLA.

I am appointee for him. His DLA has always been a part of the family pot in which we pay for all of his extra expenses, his therapies, his sensory equipment and so on. We would transfer him a bit of pocket money to his own account.

Now he’s 16, it feels like it needs to be more managed as a separate entity of “his” money (it always has been his but it just went in to the family pot to cover everything).

However, he still has expensive therapies to be paid for as well as niche extra curricular which directly support his disabilities.

We are also going to have a reduction in income from the ‘loss’ of his DLA from the family pot.

I don’t know how best to sort this money for him. He doesn’t spend in the same way typical teens do. We can’t afford to cover his therapies ourselves so it would make sense to take some of his PIP to cover these. How do others manage this at 16?

TIA

You don't have to move it but I assume you would have to be his appointee if it was being continued to be paid into your bank account - he would need to talk to the dwp about this. If you have concerns about his money management it could be possible

Yes I’m his appointee so it goes in to my bank account for me to manage for him. DS would not have any idea of what to do with this money, it would simply build up in his own account. He has a basic concept of money (eg, this costs £18, I have £20 so I can afford it) but he does not spend or socialise to be able to use it.

DH and I have to accompany him everywhere including to his special school as school transport will not accept him due to unpredictable behaviour. We have to have two cars for this and both have car payments to be made.

He has a membership for a disability club.

He has therapies which we have to cover monthly (which is more than half of his PIP allowance).

It is complicated by the fact that DS has no insight in to his disabilities and does not perceive himself to be disabled (in spite of multiple severe disabilities and he attends a special school). I therefore have to be careful that he does not ever feel like we have spent “his” money as he will never understand that it has been used directly for his benefit.

I’m not sure how to manage it this way?

You don’t have to keep it in a separate account. You only have to spend it in DS’s best interest. It sounds like you are funding more than you receive in PIP anyway.

In case you aren’t aware, therapies can be funded via DS’s EHCP.

It isn’t lawful for the LA to refuse transport because of disability related unpredictable behaviour. If you want the LA to make arrangements, push back. Are you at least receiving mileage?

DS does have an ehcp but I was told that as his physio has been in place before he had an ehcp, it can’t be included.

We do get a travel allowance but it is not much and does not cover the fuel costs.

Whoever told you that, lied to you. If DS has just switched to PIP, I take it he is in Y11? If so, the phase transfer EHCP has probably been finalised relatively recently, so you probably still have the right of appeal if you want to appeal for it.

I did think it dubious as it’s part of his medical needs. He is in year 11 and his review was finalised in January. Would it not be too late for an appeal?

Thank you for the extra information. I’m not very clued up on all of this.

If the phase transfer EHCP was finalised in January, your right of appeal has lapsed. It is uncommon for LAs to finalise that early. Most of the time they wait until just before the post 16 phase transfer 31st March deadline.

You can request an early review. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Health care provision that trains or educates is deemed to be special educational provision and thus belongs in section F. This can include physio.