Making PIP application on behalf of another person

Hi

I have a client who wishes to make a PIP application for her husband who recently had a stroke. He currently has no verbal communication and the capacity to consent.
If have looked through guidance and it all says someone else can make an application on behalf of another person behalf however they need to verbal consent of said person, anyone know what the process is if a persons disability means they have no verbal communication and cannot consent due to Mental Capacity.

Thanks

She will need to become his appointee and make the claim on his behalf - https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

The guidance you are referring to is presumably talking about the general position of having someone handle a phonecall for you as a helper or representative, rather than permanently managing the claim.

I am a bit unclear whether you are saying that your client’s husband has capacity or doesn’t have capacity.

If the husband lacks capacity, then as noted above, it is appropriate for someone (probably the wife) to act as their appointee. They are then going to be wholly in charge of the claim and will manage any award on a more or less permanent basis.

If the husband doesn’t lack capacity, and it is just that they are for the moment unable to communicate verbally, then it would not really be appropriate for an appointee to be involved just to get around the difficulties of making a claim over the phone. It is possible instead for a claim to be made in writing. You write to them at the address on this page - https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim#:~:text=You%20can%20start%20a%20claim,in%20and%20return%20the%20form - and they will send a claim form out in the post.

I used to be involved in creating appointeeships in the DWP. It would be best in this situation to let the DWP visiting officer make the decision. If the appointeeship is granted it should be entered on CIS Searchlight and apply to all DWP Benefits. It would also be flagged up for IAS and Capita and save a lot of hassle with phone calls and texts later down the line. The visiting officer could attend a hospital if required.