Forum Home → Discussion → Universal credit administration → Thread
Trusted Intermediary Form
It doesn’t really make clear the purpose of the form (apart from providing authority).
What is the difference between a Trusted Intermediary and an advice worker for these purposes? Often it will be one and the same? Or is it for where an adviser is assisting the claimant to appoint a third person (relative, support worker etc) to act as Trusted Intermediary?
It the adviser beings asked, in effect, to witness the authority being provided by the claimant to the intermediary and the authenticity of intermediaries signature? If a third party is the intermidiary where does this leave the advice worker regarding consent and access without the claimant being present?
If you are the intermediary (say a benefit specialist) and the advicer worker is a colleague (for example a front line adviser / home visiting officer) does that mean only you and no one else within your service can contact UC without the claimants presence?
I would also be concerned if the intermediary was an employee (of any organisation) and the insurance implications for the organisation of them making any (inaccurate) disclosure in these circumstances regardless of what it says about the claimant being liable for that info.
Interesting. There was some (pretty inconclusive) discussion about what is a Trusted Intermediary in the Work and Pensions Select committees, back on the 10th and 17th September 2012, as minuted here:
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmworpen/576/576.pdf
I don’t know if things have moved on since then, but at one stage, Dame Anne Begg stated:
Trusted intermediary” does not usually
apply to welfare rights officers, because some will go
into the office and it will be a different officer, or
CAB staff. A trusted intermediary is a relative, but
there will be people who do not have relatives or other
people in their families who can help them.
I don’t know if I’m a “Trusted Intermediary” in my role or not but I certainly don’t intend to be giving out my national insurance number and date of birth in the course of my employment.
I don’t know if I’m a “Trusted Intermediary” in my role or not but I certainly don’t intend to be giving out my national insurance number and date of birth in the course of my employment.
I’m with you!
Surely this is aimed at claimants’ relatives rather than advisers? Although I have never heard of this status. Surely there is only Appointee status?
I am regularly asked on helplines if I am an appointee. Errrrrm No.
This would not hold in UC Full Service where Mr Couling tells us that signed authority does not exist in Full Service as everything is through the online account.
On reflection I think it is more to do with relatives etc, so why it was sent to me is a mystery. We are currently getting quite a few cases in which DWP confuses representative status with that of appointee. And as for ‘Mr Thank-You-Cards’, well…...
Could Support Workers be ‘trusted intermediaries’? This could be useful in some instances for particular clients.
I would have thought so. That would fit the wording of the form.
The problem is the sheer mess DWP are making of the authorisation/consent process.
I gather they are recruiting a Mr Spicer from the USA to do their publicity work…