A DWP appointee is someone authorised to manage welfare benefits and financial matters for another person who cannot manage these themselves—perhaps due to mental or physical disability or other incapacity.

Their duties include ensuring benefit claims are correct, that payments come into a separate bank account, and that funds are used only for the person’s benefit. This also involves managing bills and making decisions about how money is spent.

To become a DWP appointee, you complete Form BF56, then undergo a visit from a DWP Visiting Officer to assess suitability.

Once appointed, the appointee has legal duties. They must act in the best interests of the person they represent, and they must follow the five principles set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

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