I am literally at breaking point. After finally getting ours sons SDP backdated we now have come across some information that has basically made the day come crumbling down around me. I am our son’s appointee, he has autism, learning disability and memory and cognitive impairment. He was getting DLA and then transferred to PIP at 16. His money continued to go into our account then we just transferred it into his own account. At age 20 he decided to apply for ESA after a benefit advisor had been to his college. However I think being his appointee ESA should have picked this up but the payments went directly into his own bank account. Fast forward to today and he lives on his own but needs a lot of support. I recently managed to persuade him to open a joint account in preparation for migration to UC. So today I discover that he has had a royalty payment go into his account from when he did music when he was younger as part of his course. It’s like getting blood from a stone. Obviously I will be reporting this to ESA on Monday and I have looked online and now have myself going to jail. I have cried since we got home and his reaction to me asking questions wasn’t good as he can’t cope. He ended up self harming, and smashed his kitchen up. He doesn’t understand that this isn’t allowed and obviously I don’t have access to his account. I am mortified and terrified that the trouble we are going to get into and I feel like I have completely failed him. I look after him and my daughter who both are autistic and have other health issues. I am in such turmoil and so scared of what might happen but I am an honest person.
