help please, re: income support and savings

aj26

Hi everyone,

I've had an absolute nightmare trying to claim Income Support since my maternity leave ended.

Firstly, (feb 10) they declined my application as they said my Xmas bonus and holiday pay from when i was working was added as income and was too much etc etc. So I appealed to the tribunal, and won! This was last week.

Anyway, now they have come up with something else - they have asked about a bank account that i never told them about. Its in my name but i dont use it eg withdraw or take any money out i gave the bank card to my mum as i owed her money for holidays etc when i was working a couple of years ago and she has just left it as a little savings for a rainy day. there is about £4000 in the account. I have to take in a bank statement of this next week.

I'm sure i have heard somewhere that you can have up to £6000 in savings while on income support and am hoping this is the case and this will not affect my claim.

If anyone can help me i was really appreciate it.

Just seems a never ending battle.
Thank you

enabledebra

Yes, the lower capital limit for Income Support is £6000. Anything below this will not affect your entitlement.

dmg24

enabledebra wrote: »

Yes, the lower capital limit for Income Support is £6000. Anything below this will not affect your entitlement but must still be declared.

Edited to answer the OP's query.

enabledebra

dmg24 wrote: »

Edited to answer the OP's query.

For which there is no (realistically) enforceable penalty or consequence if there is no effect on entitlement:)

dmg24

enabledebra wrote: »

For which there is no (realistically) enforceable penalty or consequence if there is no effect on entitlement:)

The OP is experiencing the penalty at the moment - their claim has been suspended. Whilst that might not be an issue long term, it certainly is right now.

GlasweJen

depends on how much the payout from her work was and the balance of her other accounts. If this exceeds 2,000 (or if the total exceeded more than 6,000 at the time of application) then it could be a problem.

aj26

Thank you for your replies. I am worried about the fact I didnt declare it, although I have another account which my grandads money goes into (i am his attourney) and didnt declare this either as its not my income, but as they said today it is in my name so i will have to go along with statements etc. all of my accounts are basically nil apart from the one for £4 thousand that my mum handles.

My xmas bonus was £2000 this was in dec 2009 and i also had holiday pay of 2300 but this was all before i even claimed for income support! I could not see how this could be relevant as its a previous income. the tribunal decided that 2grand bonus was to be treated as earnings but the 2300 holiday pay to be treated as capital.

although now this has come up i am terrified i am going to have to go to a tribunal again, this took a whole year of me and my son (lone parent) living on just £10 a week income support.

I have always worked, this is what upsets me as now i need the help it just feels like a never ending battle with these people.

is there any advice you could offer? If my mother writes a letter of confirmation that the money is hers just saved in my account would this justify it?

thanks again for any advice

enabledebra

Holiday pay and bonuses count as income rather than capital. I think we can assume the total of any capital is below £6000 given the substance of the query? I would always advise disclosure of savings in any circumstances to avoid problems but the OP is asking after the event and my point remains that whilst there is a duty to disclose 'material facts' (and facts not affecting entitlement may often fall within that definition) the outcome is no effect on entitlement and therefore of no tangible consequence.

[Deleted User]

No it wouldnt as its in your name,your account.Just take details of ALL your accounts.

GlasweJen

£2000 + £2300 + £4000 = £8300 in the OPs name not including any odds in her bank accounts.

Fair enough that eventually 2300 was disregarded but at the time of the initial application there was £8300 in the OPs name, £4000 of which the OP didn't declare.

Either way their benefits will be suspended while they investigate.

enabledebra

If you have power of attorney he remains the owner of his money rather than you, but as Woodbine says just take all information in with you.