Hello friends
I am in shock so this is going to be short.
(I have Aspergers so don't count on it...)
My daughter was in a residential home and the company were her appointee etc.
I was finally applied for carers allowance in 2018 as she stayed "home" 2/3 days a week sometimes more and had done for years!
She moved back home with me and her 17 year old brother permanently March 2021. I only got appointeeship in March 2022 so had no idea to what her benefits were or banking details, payments etc previously and legally unable to access on the phone or anything it either!
Last week I was sent a letter from DWP, saying money should have been deducted from my daughter's DLA to the tune of £10,000. I asked for mandatory appeal and help from posabilitypeople and socialworker who said they would make inquiries and add that I didn't fill in the financial outgoing form correctly but haven't heard anything yet.
How can this happen? How did they not know? It was deducted from my universal credit PRONTO - so they know!!!! Am I liable when I did all I could do and wasn't "in charge"
When applying I gave name, address NI number etc of daughter and the amount was deducted from my Universal credit.
What else was I supposed to do?
For the year my daughter was home with us her benefit and care package was paid to the company/old house and they dropped cash from her bank to me. I didn't even have access to her debit card or bank statements or knew what benefits or outgoings were.
We did not receive any assistance in regards to care apart from 2x2 for hour slots when someone took her out for a smoothie. In fact I am out of pocket and simply devastated overwhelmed, in tears and having panic attacks. I am here 24/7 sole carer without any care package because I am appealing the £34 a week contribution...
There's a long history to all this but I don't think y'all need to be subjected to that. Suffice to say, I have been trying to get appointee-ship etc since 2014...
I said it would be short-HA!
I hope it makes some sense.
(I'm discovering that It's helpful for me to write it out so-)
To top it all off I have to fill out a PIP application with, hopefully, the higher mobility element.
Before the 21 August!
She should have been moved from DLA a long time ago and I cannot get meaningful assistance from my daughter's social worker and no idea who else to contact. Currently it sits with citizens advice or moneyworks plus or somewhere. I have contacted so many people repeatedly and have been doing so for the past 2 years and the previous 7 so I'm past discombobulated. I'm hanging on by a thread!
We are all driving each other mad in an old 2 bedroom flat! My daughter's brother who is trying to do his A levels isn't doing well and none of this is ideal for the person who is supposed to be cared for by said bodies/companies. Quite the opposite in fact!
(Apologies for the self absorbed and probably repetitious rant but it helped to get things a bit straight in my head.)
Any advice would be golden.
Cheers!
Claire
