Publication
Self-Application
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
A self-application is an application made by you on your own behalf.
It is not necessary to engage a solicitor to make an application. The application process is straight-forward. If you would like help completing your application, support services.
However, if you wish for your solicitor to deal with the Payment Scheme on your behalf this will be facilitated.
We will require a written authority from you providing consent for your solicitor to deal with your application on your behalf. Once this is received, all correspondence from the Payment Scheme Office will issue in your name to your solicitor’s address by registered post. It is not possible for these applications to be handled through the online portal. The Payment Scheme Office will not send copies to your home address.
Even if we are dealing with your solicitor, your application form must be signed by you. If an offer is made to you, both the acceptance form and legal waiver must be signed by you. All awards will be made to your bank account in accordance with the legislation for the scheme.
We may still need to speak to you directly during your application, for example when searching for your records. Such a call will be arranged in consultation with your solicitor, at a convenient time for you, and only if you are happy to take the call. If at any time you decide you would like to call the Payment
Scheme Office in relation to your application, a member of the team will be happy to speak to you.
If you have difficulty making certain decisions on your own without support, you can choose someone you know and trust to be your decision-making assistant. This is a formal arrangement provided for under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
Decision-making assistants have the legal authority to help you by gathering relevant information and explaining it to you. They must help you to understand and weigh up your options. They can also support you in letting other people know about the decision that has been made.
Decision-making assistants do not make decisions with or on behalf of you. Their role is to support you to make decisions for yourself. This is all set out in a decision-making assistance agreement.
If you are making an application to the Payment Scheme and have a decision-making assistant, you can provide their details on your application form. We will also require a copy of the decision-making assistance agreement. We will still deal with you as the applicant to the Payment Scheme. However, we will be happy to provide general information to your decision-making assistant, so they can support you in making decisions.
If you are unable to make certain decisions on your own, you will be able to choose someone you know and trust to be your co-decision-maker. This is a formal arrangement provided for under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
The co-decision-maker’s role is to make certain decisions together with you .
As a co-decision-maker, you will have the legal authority to help the applicant by gathering relevant information and explaining it to them. Together, you look at the information and discuss the different options and outcomes. You will jointly come to a decision that respects the wishes of the person. You can also support the person to let other people know about the decision that has been made. This is all written down in a co-decision-making agreement. The agreement must be registered with the Decision Support Service and list the decisions you will make together.
If you are making an application to the Payment Scheme and have a co-decision maker, you will be asked to provide their details on your application form. Your co-decision maker must also sign your application form. The Payment Scheme Office will require a copy of the decision-making assistance agreement in order to confirm that the agreement covers all decisions necessary to make an application to the Payment Scheme. If an offer is made from the Payment Scheme, your co-decision maker must also sign the acceptance form and legal waiver.
However, our aim is to deal with you, the applicant, directly. Our goal is to ensure we comply with your will and preference about your application.
A trusted person can help you to make your application to the Payment Scheme. However, to ensure that we safeguard and protect your personal data, and that all action taken on your application is in accordance with your will and preference, we will only correspond with you about your application.
If you would like us to speak with a trusted person, you must call us to give permission before we can speak with them.
If you provide a written request asking us to deal with a trusted person on your behalf, we will need to take steps to validate this request. One way we can do this is by arranging a call with you.
All validation undertaken by the Payment Scheme Office is done in the best interests of applicants. We work closely with organisations who provide advocacy and support services to people who may be at risk of vulnerabilities. In the event there are safeguarding concerns for an applicant, we will raise this with the relevant organisations and work with them to support the applicant in progressing their application.