I have a client with severe agoraphobia - his benefits have always been paid into his account which suited him fine as he can bank online.

Recently his DLA has been reduced and they've sent him a couple of cheques. I rang them to ask for the cheques to be cancelled and the benefit paid directly into his account. I explained that he can't get out to cash the cheques. They advised me to get him to destroy the cheques and then the payment would be re-issued. I faxed all the details to them.

Then they sent him some more cheques. I rang again and was told that I was wrongly advised the first time, and they cannot cancel the cheques unless they are returned to them. I pointed out that if the client can't get out to bank the cheques he also can't get out to post them.

They said there's nothing they can do.

I don't believe that they can't cancel cheques (what if a cheque is stolen?), so where do I go from here? As the client has several cheques that he's sitting on, I need it to be fairly quick.

Ta

Can't remember the number of the form, but there is one for missing or destroyed cheques. You will need to get the cheque numbers (probably from DLA). Im not sure they will be able to replace the cheques with payment into the bank. (ususally replace 'missing ' payment with cheques. The cheques can be put into his bank account & I guessing that he can post then to his bank????

He cannot leave the house so he cannot get either to the bank or to a post box. He cannot put re-issued cheques into his bank account because he can't go out.

So issuing more cheques is absolutely useless to him, as they were told before they issued the payments.

He did have a support worker who would go round and put his bin into his garden for him - that's how bad his agoraphobia is, but he's in the middle of changing support workers, so no one goes round to see him at the moment. He shops online, no family to help.

can someone not go and pay the cheques in for him - e.g., you, or his new support worker? anyone can pay into someone's bank account - it's only drawing money out that requires chip & pin/id

He doesn't have a support worker at the moment - so the cheques are just sitting there, and he's therefore without the money.

I am a benefits adviser covering a whole county - I cannot justify making a couple of hundred mile round trip to pick up someone's cheques to pay them into an account.

I cannot see why the DWP cannot cancel the cheques and then pay the money into his account.

I may have dreamt this, but I thought that The Pension Service Local Service now act as agents for DBU, eg for appointeeships. Could you suggest that DBU contact TPS Local Service (in Royston Vasey??), one of whose Visiting Officers could go out and get the cheques? Joined-up government, closer working an' all.