DLA to PIP appointee: Child Trust Fund

[Toomanyminifigs]

My DS is turning 16 soon (terrifying!). He's currently in receipt of DLA and I know the dreaded PIP paperwork will be arriving soon. I'm trying to weigh up if I should ask to be his appointee or not.

I've read that by becoming his appointee, this can have an impact on him being able to access his Child Trust Fund when he turns 18.

Does anyone have any experience/advice/information regarding this please?
Thanks.

Requiring an appointee for DWP doesn’t always mean a young person lacks capacity to access/manage their CTF.

Where it does, some CTF providers are happy to allow the appointee to access the CTF. Although not all providers are.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I contacted DS's CTF and spoke to a woman who was fairly vague and unhelpful. She did say that if DS was deemed to 'lack capacity' to handle his financial affairs she thought we would have to apply for a Court Protection Order.

I did ask how they determined if someone 'lacked capacity' and if that was the same criteria as being an 'appointee' under DWP rules but she didn't know.

I've tried researching this online but there seems very little actual caselaw about it. As you say, it seems to vary from one CTF provider to another. I believe the rules are more straightforward in Scotland.

Capacity is decision specific, so just because someone needs an appointee doesn’t always mean they lack capacity to access the CTF. Some will, some won't.

If DS did lack capacity to access the CTF and the provider doesn’t have an alternative route, such as allowing the appointee access, then you would need to go down the Court of Protection route. Although not everyone does this, especially if it is a relatively small amount. There are some young people who don't have access to their money. Contact has been campaigning on this issue for years. It is worth looking at their website and the various articles they have written on the matter.