DLA/PIP/Appointee advice please

[Gymbob]

I am re-posting here hoping to get some replies......

DD turns 16 later in the year and I've been sent the form that will decide the PIP she will get instead of DLA. At present we get lower and middle rate, which amounts to about £320 per month.

My question is, has anyone been through this process yet, and has anyone applied to be an appointee? It all looks quite scary. My DD is not good at managing money. The DLA has always gone towards paying for her expensive hobbies and transporting her around etc, but now as she will be 16 the payments will go direct to her, unless I have a good reason as to why they can't. I will have to attend an interview to explain the reasons why she shouldn't have the money. I know it will be reduced using the new PIP, but don't know by how much.

I have had to broach the subject with her and she says she wants the money! She says I can put it into a special account if I want for her to have when she turns 18. I've told her we can't afford her hobbies without the money, but she is adamant.

I feel in a vulnerable position. I may have to end the hobbies if she insists we pay rather than her PIP. Of course she doesn't fully understand - she has special needs - but I'm told that she would need to have further special needs to not be awarded the money directly.

HELP!

[goughbug]

Thanks so much for the advice you've put on hear for appointee meeting, we've had our son's today, nothing like I thought it would be after dealing with my wife's pip 4 years ago, I'm now laughing at how stressed I got for very little, Jackie the representative was very helpful and not at all condescending like we've had before. Thanks again streakybacon

[April2020mom]

I also applied for DLA last summer. Since DS and DD both have congenital impairments I skillfully described the impact on our day to day life. Our claim was for physical disability. We use DLA for travel expenses and to cover additional costs of therapy and equipment.