How does Universal credit work when you have a deputyship? Do they harass the disabled person to attend meetings at job centre

[deborahcoxsuckle]

Disabled person is currently on ESA in the support group. They should change over to UC in the future. I have deputyship with their Finances. What would happen when they changer over. How do they sign the commitments and will they have to attend interviews, etc.

[deborahcoxsuckle]

I feel people are disseminating me. I even had somebody complain here on me....

[Rupertthebear in reply to deborahcoxsuckle]

They will want to talk to the young person but you need to let them know how much they can communicate . They are understanding towards Autistic people .

[SpeedyH in reply to deborahcoxsuckle]

Hi Deborah. If you know that someone has complained about your use of language in the past, you will know that it upsets people and is totally inappropriate. It might be that you don't know what language to use instead so here are some alternatives: 'learning disability', 'intellectual disability', 'person with learning disabilities', '.... has a learning disability', 'disabled'. Hope that helps.

[greenapple123_]

I’m guessing it depends on the persons disability. My son has never been harassed & asked to go to interviews. The case worker once said he might have to, but it never came about.

[Chocolate-heals-all]

The “support” group is for people who have had a work capability assessment which has determined that they have limited capability for work and work-related activity. So they might simply take that and move him to UC at the higher rate without asking him to attend any interview. I’m wondering whether you’re his appointee as well as having deputyship. The appointee gets the privilege of filling in the forms and declaring that the person isn’t able to do so.

When I applied for UC on my son’s behalf - I’m his appointee - he had to come in with me to the JobCentrePlus for one or two interviews. The first was just checking in, and I can’t even remember whether he had to show up for that one. The second was a proper meeting with an official. She asked him questions about his ambitions and what he does all day. I can’t even remember what she asked, but, being autistic, he completely clammed up and gestured for me to answer on his behalf. She “got” him straight away, told us he wouldn’t have to look for work or fill in a work journal for three months, and straightaway arranged a work capability assessment. We did that via documentation. He never had a face-to-face interview, or if he did I’ve forgotten. It went through with no problems. Then after three months they gave him the official status that he has Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, indefinitely, because his disabilities are long-standing and aren’t going to go away.

Recently they asked me to send in paperwork (photos and electronic documents, uploaded via their website) nearly two years after I first applied, but my son didn’t have to do anything except pose for a photo of himself with his passport.

I think the same will happen for your son. They might ask to see him once face-to-face, but I’m guessing you can try to demand reasonable adjustments if you think that’s going to be distressing for him. Because your son is already recognised as having limited capability for work and work-related activity, they might just write that down with no further difficulty.

I know of someone who was forced to come in for an interview which she found very distressing. She was one of those people who mask and conceal their disability, and they wrongly wrote her down as perfectly competent, but she had a support worker who helped her to appeal, and she sent in the medical evidence and won. That was ten years ago, and things have probably changed.

That possibility of being disbelieved means that the other person who responded is quite correct in that it’s a good idea to prepare yourself: get informed. You can get help from the Disability Rights Handbook or from a benefits advisor at Mencap. It’s worth having the handbook, reading it cover to cover, and putting in Post-it notes as bookmarks, with little notes, in key places such as entitlement and reasonable adjustments. Bring it in with you if you are invited for interview. Bring a support worker if you think you won’t have the confidence to do this on your own. Sometimes the professionals in the JobCentre can make mistakes, and it helps if you can show them the text in the Handbook. Also it sometimes helps to have someone else present to listen and remember what was said and to remind you about key facts.

[Balamorym]

If they want to see them in person, you can ask for a home visit if that would help. If you are appointee for them you can sign the commitments for them. If they are deemed to have limited capacity, they won't be required to attend regular job centre interviews.