My 17 yr old grandson has Aspergers & gets PIP. His Mum was his apoointee for that. Mid August his Mum threw him out of family home & he was forced to declared homeless. Hre tried to apply for UC but was told he could not as Appointte was only one who could do it on his behalf. Finally this week he got payment but only 2 weeks worth of payments as his mum had given up appointteeship. DWP advisor was unsure if it could be backdated to when he initiated the claim online. He was refused any help by local authority Welfare Fund, so had no money at all apart from whet I gave him.. Surely this is an exception to the 1 month backdating rule? Any advice & information appreciated.
I've had a look at the legislation and as far as I can see the maximum period by which a UC claim can be backdated is one month, there appear to be no circumstances where this can be extended.
It may be possible to claim compensation from the DWP if you can show that he was incorrectly advised when he first tried to claim UC but if the mother was his DWP appointee then I think you will struggle to show an error.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
