What Is an Appointee? A Simple Guide for Those Supporting Vulnerable Adults 

If you’re an active part of a vulnerable person’s support network – whether it be a relative, carer or close friend – you may have heard the term appointee, or appointeeship. Now, you may already know what this means, but if you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking for answers.  

So, whether you’re taking your first steps with care provision, or have years of experience and simply want further clarification, allow this to be your guide to everything appointeeship.  

What is Appointeeship?  

By definition, an appointeeship is the process through which a person is nominated to make decisions on behalf of someone with limited ability to do so themselves. Regulated by the Department for Work and Pensions, or the DWP, an appointee is required to effectively manage the welfare benefits and everyday finances of the individual they are representing, allocating funds as necessary. While strictly speaking, the role is not defined by the Mental Capacity Act (2005), its core principles functionally underpin the process. It should be noted that for those with capacity to make key financial decisions, appointeeship may not be entirely necessary, however can still be considered as a viable option, dependent on the circumstances.  

How Does Appointeeship Function?  

When appointeeship is determined to be the best course of action for an individual and relevant documentation has been gathered, an application must be made to the DWP to request this authority. This is done via their specified application form, a BF56, which provides them with the details they need to know in order to process the request.  

Once this has been granted, the DWP will send a letter of confirmation, otherwise known as a BF57. This document will contain key details about the role and responsibilities of an appointee and should be signed and dated upon receipt. It is important to keep this on file for reference, as typically, many organisations and providers will legally require a copy, in order to grant a person access to someone else’s account.  

Why Appointeeship?  

An appointeeship is typically deemed the most suitable option when someone requires assistance with key financial decisions and money management, at a day-to-day level. The role can be carried out alongside additional support, such as hands-on physical and emotional care, and is primarily distinct in its legal authority to act. With this status, an appointee is able to support and manage an individual’s financial matters without barriers that may have been apparent prior.  

Who Can Be an Appointee? 

Appointeeship status is dependent on several factors and is largely down to a combination of suitability and competence. From an initial standpoint, prospective appointees should be able to provide relevant evidence and demonstrate sufficient trust and understanding between them and the person they intend to represent. Ultimately, an appointee is someone who can responsibly manage the benefits and everyday finances of another, carrying out the role with their best interests at heart. This could be anyone from a relative to a support worker.  

Yet, there are some instances that are not that simple, circumstantially. Occasionally, there may be no-one willing or appropriate to act on behalf of a vulnerable individual. Whether this be due to misguided intentions, or simply that no relevant parties can be identified, the most common solution is corporate appointeeship. Typically consisting of local authorities, or organisations such as Money Carer, corporate appointees are able to take on the responsibility for those who need it most. These acting bodies in no way diminish or overshadow the care and commitment put in by existing support networks and can in fact be of great value to those who feel the role would be too demanding alongside their current duties.  

Responsibilities of an Appointee 

Once authorised, there a number of tasks an appointee is required to perform, in order to effectively support the person they are acting on behalf of. For the most part, this largely consists of managing welfare benefits, by ensuring they are receipt of correct amounts, that regular payments are being made, and that all parties are routinely informed of any key circumstantial changes. As part of this, an appointee then determines how this money will be used with the individual’s best interests in mind. Usually, thisfalls under the allocation of funds for crucial everyday matters, such as utility and care bills, and personal spending.  

Bookkeeping is also an inevitable responsibility. Sufficient records and information should be retained for safeguarding purposes, not only to ensure that funds are being spent correctly, but also for evidential purposes when liaising with other relevant authorities. These records may include things such as benefit letters, bank statements, invoices and more.  

Additional Duties 

Determining the matters that can, and should, be handled by an appointee is highly dependent on specific circumstances – for example, while one appointee may strictly deal with DWP benefits and everyday funds, another may be required to manage additional matters, such as Housing Benefit, Motability, or a private pension. Appointeeship determines that a person is responsible to manage the social security benefits of individual, and so anything that they are in receipt of that falls under this is considered a requirement. So, while an appointee will manage benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) through the DWP, they may also need to liaise with local authorities and relevant organisations to fulfil their duties. The same can be said for various other financial matters, such as paying rent and planning trips. 

The Benefits of Appointeeship  

So, you may now be asking yourself, is appointeeship a responsibility worth taking on? How can it help me to support the person I currently care for?  

Not to worry – appointeeship has many benefits and is a role that is being increasingly considered by care providers, families and organisations across the nation. So, to clarify: 

• Appointeeship can be a crucial form of financial support for a vulnerable person.  

• An appointee, whether internal or external, can be a means to extend existing support that is carried out day-to-day.  

• The nomination of an appointee can facilitate financial safeguarding for an individual.  

• Appointeeship can foster a sense of autonomy and future success, while reducing financial risk.  

Our Appointeeship Services  

To learn more about Money Carer’s Appointeeship services, or to simply find out what appointeeship might look like for you, call us on 0161 791 3064.