Pip telephone review. Autistic son

[JoeMumAutism]

My 20 yr DS had DLA then moved to Pip. He has autism and moderate learning difficulties. I am his appointee. I had a call in 2021 to do a review (no prior notice) and the caller didn’t need to speak to my DS at all. I got a letter last week for another telephone review for yesterday. I assumed he wasn’t needed. But they said they had to speak to him and that they would book another appOintment for next Monday

I thought I had read somewhere that if it caused undue stress that he wouldn’t need to be present. I know that he would get very stressed at the interview and would just say he is capable of everything even though he’s never left the house alone, and has no independence skills at all despite all our efforts.

i suspect they will want to reduce or remove what he gets which is why they want to speak to him. Does anyone have any experience of only an appointee speaking at the telephone review. Or does my son have to be present. He will find it very difficult if we are open about his difficulties to someone else.

thanks
Joes mum

As appointee you can speak on the phone for DS. As you have found, some assessors will tell you otherwise but you should be insistent especially if it would be detrimental to DS’s mental health.

Dd had hers on video call, not appointee as I wanted dd to manage money herself.
Assessors talked to me, then did some tests on dd.
Adding/ subtraction which she failed.
Also remembering 3 words, remembered 2 immediately.
But after doing the maths, couldn't remember any of them.
Didn't do any more tests, was grim seeing her getting things wrong.
But this was just days after my mum came home from hospital after 4 infections including sepsis.

Good luck for next week.

Having an appointee or not is not about whether someone’s family wants them to manage their money or not. If someone can manage the claim, including the money, themselves, they don’t need an appointee and no-one would be appointed as such. If someone can not manage the claim, including any monies, then an appointee is required and if someone’s relatives won’t or can’t do that, a corporate appointee would be appointed.

Thanks @KeepGoingThomas is there somewhere official that says that? I have searched but I can’t find anything.

I don’t I’m afraid, sorry.

If it was a F2F assessment DS would need to attend with you, but as a telephone call you can speak for him especially if it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to DS.

Hopeful bump!