Personal Acting Body, Appointee, Power Of Attorney or Court Approved: Referral From The ‘Incomplete Applications’ Work List (AG)

• If you can continue to follow this guidance, go to step 2

• You are dealing with an entry on the ‘Incomplete Applications’ Work List where the Appointee field has been completed, consider the reason for the PAB. If no reason is given, check the Access to DWP Data System to see if the proposed PAB is shown as an appointee

• If the PAB is shown as an appointee, accept the authority and go to step 7
   
• If the PAB is not shown as an appointee, use Function VIEW APPLICATION or the correspondence to obtain the telephone number of the proposed PAB
   
• If you obtain a telephone number, contact the person to clarify what kind of PAB is required and why

Note: At this point you must not disclose any additional information about the claimant and their claim

• If it is an agent or Intermediary, go to step 3
   
• If it is an Power of Attorney, or Court Approved, go to step 4
   
• If it is an appointee, go to step 5

• If you are unable to contact the person by telephone

• Send form TC228 to the proposed PAB

Then

• Go to step 8

• You have received a form TC228, go to step 6
   
• You have received a form BF56, BF57, Power of Attorney or Court Approved document go to step 10
   
•  The clerical BF date has expired, go to step 9

• Go to the Summary Information screen
   
• Select the No checkbox in the All Signatures Present field

Note: Do not capture any appointee details on the Appointee screen. If appointee details have already been captured, delete them

• Follow the guidance in Authorisation Of An Agent or Intermediaries / Representatives- Tax Credits Only, as appropriate

Then

• Go to step 11

Then

• Go to step 8

• If they have been appointed

• Ask the person which DWP/ DSD Benefit and Benefit Office authorised the appointment
   
• Advise the person that you will contact the Benefit Office to obtain a copy of the authorisation

Then

• Go to step 7

• If they have not been appointed

• Ask the person if the tax credit claimant is in receipt of a DWP/DSD Benefit?

• If the tax credit claimant is in receipt of a DWP/DSD Benefit

• Check ADD for the claimant to confirm if they are in receipt of Benefit
   
• Advise the person they will need to make an appointment at their local DWP, DSD or Job Centre Plus office to apply to be the claimant’s appointee
   
• Advise the person that the Tax Credits Office (TCO) will send an appointment referral, form TC912 to DWP or DSD

• If the tax credit claimant is not in receipt of a DWP/DSD Benefit

• Advise them they could consider being an Agent or Intermediary. For further information, follow the guidance in Authorisation Of An Agent and Intermediaries / Representatives- Tax Credits Only

Then

• Go to step 8

• If the form TC228 is not signed, return it for the signature and then go to step 8
   
• If the form TC228 is signed, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to select the No checkbox in the All Signatures Present field

• If you consider that an appointee is appropriate by using the relevant action guide criteria

• Complete and send a form TC912 along with the completed form TC228 to DWP / DSD

Then

• Go to step 8

• If you consider that an appointee is not appropriate by using the relevant action guide criteria Contact the person wishing to become the appointee to explain why you do not consider their request to become the appointee is appropriate

Note: Suggest to the person that being an Agent or an Intermediary may be more appropriate. Follow the guidance in Authorisation of an Agent or Intermediaries / Representatives

Note: Do not capture any appointee details on the Appointee screen. If appointee details have already been captured, delete them

Then

• Go to step 11

• If you have confirmation of the appointee from the ADD system, then contact the DWP / DSD office to request a copy of the form BF56 to be faxed to you

Then

• Go to step 10

Note: You will have to BF for receipt of the BF56 as normal but you do not have to wait before processing the Appointee information.

• If DWP / DSD authorised the appointee

• Ask for a copy of the form BF56 to be faxed to you

Then

• Go to step 8

• If DWP / DSD did not authorise the appointee

• Use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION
   
• Go to the Summary Information screen
   
• Select the No checkbox in the All Signatures Present field

Note: Do not capture any appointee details on the Appointee screen. If appointee details have already been captured, delete them

Then

• Go to step 11

• 2 calendar days from the date you requested the form BF56 from DWP / DSD
   
• 14 calendar days from the date you asked the person to make an appointment with their local Benefit Office
   
• 14 calendar days from the date you requested the Power of Attorney / Court Approved documentation
   
• 14 calendar days from the date you issued form TC228
   
• 14 calendar days from the date you issued form TC912 to DWP / DSD

Then

• Go to step 12

• If the form BF56 has not been received from DWP / DSD

• Contact the DWP / DSD office which authorised the appointee and ask them to fax you a copy of the form BF56 again

Then

• Go back to step 8

• If the Power of Attorney / Court Approved documentation or form TC228 has not been received from the person wishing to be the PAB, telephone the person

• If you are able to contact the person by telephone, ask them to send you the Power of Attorney / Court Approved documentation or return form TC228, whichever is applicable and then go back to step 8
   
• If you are unable to contact the person by telephone, send a reminder. Follow the guidance in Manual Reminder Cycle

• If you do not receive the Power of Attorney / Court Approved documentation or form TC228 within the normal reminder cycle, go back to step 3

• Use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION
   
• Go to the Appointee screen and enter the details of the authorised person

Note: When entering the appointee details, the only characters that are valid are

• Alpha characters (A - Z)
   
• Hyphen (-)
   
• Apostrophe (')

Or

• Space

Note:If any other characters are entered in the Appointee screen, the claim will remain at status ‘Awaiting Award’ until the invalid characters are removed

Then

• Go to step 11

• Pre award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to record your actions in the Application Notes field
   
• Post award, use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to record your actions

Note: The message you need to record will be dependant on the route course of action you have taken. For example, if you followed the action in step 2, record the message for the relevant step

• Step 2 – ‘TCMZ APNTEE (name of appointee) confirmed on ADD DWP awaiting BF56. IDT / (enter initials)’
   
• Step 3 / 6 - ‘TCMZ APNTEE not required/not authorised (delete as appropriate)’
   
• Step 8 - 'TCMZ Awaiting Proof of APNTEE (include appointee’s name) BF56 from DWP/DSD (state which office and telephone number)’
   
• Step 8 - 'TCMZ Awaiting Proof of Power Of Attorney (include Power of attorney’s name)’
   
• Step 8 - ‘TCMZ Form TC228 issued’
   
• Step 9 – ‘TCMZ Awaiting proof of Power of Attorney / Court Approval (name of POA and telephone number). IDT / (enter initials)’
   
• Step 1 1 - ‘TCMZ Proof of APNTEE (include the appointee’s name) BF56 RECD from DWP/DSD’
   
• Step 11 - ‘TCMZ Proof of Power Of Attorney (include Power of attorney’s name) received’

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Application Notes if the claim is pre award

Or

Follow the guidance Maintain Household Notes if the claim is post award

Then

• Go to step 13

• If a form BF56 has been provided

• Complete a form TC648
   
• Attach it to the form BF56
   
• Store the forms locally in ring binders (Appointee and Power of Attorney held separately) in a secure locked cabinet

Then

• Pass the claim to the relevant area for processing