Why am I getting a visit from the DWP?

The Department of Work and Pensions visiting service arranges for you to meet with one of their 450 visiting officers after you make an application to become the appointee of a vulnerable person. In that case, these are some of the things they will want to know.

1. • You are who you say you are and can prove your identity and relationship to the vulnerable person.

1. • You are a suitable and willing person to manage someone else benefit money as their benefits appointee.

1. • You have a separate appointee bank account to receive the benefit payments of the vulnerable person.

1. • You understand the financial duties and responsibilities of being someone’s benefits appointee.

1. • That you will act in the best interests of the vulnerable person at all times.

It is important that you are well prepared before the visit and have the necessary documents and information ready to be inspected. Remember, the DWP Visiting Officer is there to not only fulfil the necessary ID checks and best interest assessment but also to assist you with any questions that you may have. You should receive a letter from the DWP beforehand which will let you know the name of the Visiting Officer and date and time of the meeting. Ensure that you check their ID card when they visit also.

Unless the Visiting Officer has any concerns about your wish to become an appointee, it is likely that they will start the appointeeship process with you by completing a form called a BF57 application. Amongst information about yourself and the person you wish to be the appointee for, the BF56 application also requires the bank sort code and account number into which the welfare benefit payments will be made.

It is important that this is a separate bank account so that the money belonging to the vulnerable person you will be the appointee for is not mixed with your own money. You may also be required to provide copies of bank statements to the DWP in the future and you can open a free and dedicated Appointee Bank Account on the Monika Banking Platform from Money carer for this purpose.

The Appointee Bank Account has been designed specifically for those intending to become DWP appointee and has lots of special features designed to make things easier for you and the person you will be financially responsible for. Some of these feautes are detailed below:

• Free of Charge and simple to open
• Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protected
• Buil-in welfare benefit check and entitlement calculator
• Store, view and share DWP letters and other documents
• Prepaid spending cards for loved ones /carers/support workers
• Biometric fingerprint activated debit cards – No PIN required
• Set up automated balance limits on accounts for safeguarding
• Get personalised suspicious payment alerts for fraud monitoring
• Use or Current Account Switch Service to transfer old account
• Interactive Secure Portal Access for Carers and Support Workers
• Entry onto the Vulnerability Registration Service database
• Access to expert support from the Money Carer Foundation

Learn more about the specialist appointee banking service and open an appointee account here

For further information about becoming a DWP appointee, please download our appointee guide for family members.