Removing an appointee

The DWP decides whether to remove someone. This is not your appointee’s decision.

The DWP will remove an appointee if:

• you can manage your own benefits
• your appointee is not suitable

You can manage your own benefits

You no longer need an appointee if you can manage your own benefits.

Your appointee should let the DWP know. This is the best way to remove an appointee if your appointee is happy to do this.

If your appointee refuses to do this, you can contact the DWP yourself and apply for them to be removed.

Your appointee is not suitable

If you think that your appointee is not acting in your best interests, tell the DWP.

This could be because they:

• find it hard to manage your benefits
• are keeping your money or using it to control you (this could be financial abuse)

Your appointee has died

Tell the DWP. They may arrange a visit to speak to you about this.

If you cannot manage your own benefits, the DWP can ask you if anyone else can act as the appointee.

If you do not know anyone who can act as an appointee, the DWP can arrange for the local authority to act as the appointee.

To ask to remove your appointee, you need to contact the service at the DWP that manages your benefit.

Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance: Disability Service Centre

State Pension: Pension Service

PIP claims line

All other benefits including Universal Credit: Jobcentre Plus

The DWP will probably visit you and your appointee to decide whether to remove them. The DWP will send a letter with the date of their visit, and the name of the Visiting Officer.

After the visit, they will write to you and your appointee. They can decide to remove, keep or change your appointee.

Removing appointeeship

If the DWP agree you can manage your own benefits, they will remove your appointee.

You would become responsible for managing your benefit claims, renewals and assessments. You decide what account the benefit money is paid into.

Keeping your appointee

Your appointee will stay if the DWP decides that:

• you cannot manage your own benefits
• your appointee is managing your benefits properly

Changing your appointee

The DWP might agree that your appointee is not suitable but decide that you still need an appointee. This means you need to find a new appointee as quickly as possible so it is worth thinking about who could replace your appointee.

Become an appointee to manage someone’s benefits