Appointeeship after award

We applied for PIP because a job coach recommended it before the pandemic, but because of the length of wait, the assessment and then tribunal only took place this year. I was assigned the appointee for my husband a while ago, who has anxiety and depression and an ASD diagnosis. He struggles with dealing with DWP and benefits letters as it is to do with himself and how he feels about himself and his self-esteem. He won the tribunal but refused to come onto the screen as he was a nervous wreck.

Ever since the tribunal, the DWP have tried to visit our home a few times regarding the appointeeship. This has led to his mental health getting worse and our home struggling. Do we have to have them do another assessment? I read that he would need another one if he reapplied, so why do we do this after the tribunal?

Thanks, Gary,

We were informed the claim would cease on July 2023 by the tribunal. I asked the DWP if we had to have a home visit just now, and the phone operator said no but would need one if we decided to reapply when the current claim ends, which I understand. Yet the assessor that wants to visit has insisted on a visit and even made an appointment without our knowledge which feels very intrusive and pushy. My husband has a really poor opinion of the DWP and its workers as he has been humiliated and they have twisted his words in the past, he doesn't want one in our home, and after the assessment and tribunal, he said he doesn't want to reapply because every time he has anything to do with the DWP his mental health plummets.

I've contacted them several times, and they say they need to visit to make sure he needs an appointee. I told them that I was informed that this was only necessary if he is to reapply and that we don't think he will be as it's detrimental to his health, and he does not have the resilience to go through the process again. Yet they are insistent on a visit.

The main reason I am his appointee is that he can't talk about how his difficulties affect him as he has self-esteem issues related to his deficits, which makes his mental health even worse. He is terrible at forms and would not fill them in, and he can be impulsive with money and spend on things he doesn't need and leave us financially in trouble. He has no trust in the DWP as they have treated him poorly in the past, and he gets stressed out if they even send a letter.

If we absolutely have to have this visit and assessment, then we will, but it is disrupting at a time when he is already finding things tough. I get they have to safeguard claimants against abuse and coercion. I got the money into my account, and maybe that looks like he hasn't been given a choice, but it was just because he's bad with money, and it's a cost of living crisis.

Any further help would be appreciated.