Legal Aid and ISA savings

andyg_prs

Hi there,

If someone would normally qualify for legal aid based on receiving benefits, does anyone know if their ISA savings would change this?

Thanks,
Andy

le_loup

ISAs are not liable to be reported for tax purposes.
However, they are liable to be reported for any benefit purposes.

andyg_prs

Thanks but I'm not sure if that answers my question...

I don't want to get involved in reporting potential benefit fraud....however, I'm happy to report abuse of the legal aid system if having ISA savings override being on benefits in terms of eligibility...

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Andy

andyg_prs

It's complicated as it's my ex and it might impact my son. In either case I know that benefits are no longer means tested in terms of income...(so the hundreds I pay her every month are not factored in - ridiculous) but not sure about savings.... However, she keeps hitting me with spurious accusations via her legal aid lawyer and so it occurred to me that I could clip her wings if I could prove she weren't eligible for legal aid. But I need to work out whether just being on benefits entitles her to legal aid - and she will be entitled to certain benefits as our son is disabled...or whether her savings would be taken into account....

ses6jwg

If she has more than £8,000 in capital, either as savings or equity in her home, she is not eligible for legal aid.

andyg_prs

Ok, I believe she has more than that in her ISA alone - how do I go about reporting her?

Optimist

ses6jwg wrote: »

If she has more than £8,000 in capital, either as savings or equity in her home, she is not eligible for legal aid.

UNLESS she is on income support or other such benefit in which case Legal Aid is automatic

There is a calculator Here to work eligibility out

andyg_prs

I don't know exactly which benefit she is on but I'm guessing she is covered...

atush

If she is covered, she shouldn't be if she has savings of that large an amt (and income support as has been reported).

If the above is indeed true, we need a change in legislation. Legal aid should be for those who really need it, not just anyone who wants it but has 10K int eh bank plus income.

andyg_prs

Somehow she manages not to work even though my son is at school full time. She gets £500 a month from me. She gets the interest on the mortgage paid for her house. She has a motability car. She gets DLA for my son and some kind of income / job seeker's allowance. She has probably got them off her back by doing a pilates training course. But of course, how much pilates will she be able to teach during school hours...

Some people just seem to be able to play the system...

experience08

ses6jwg wrote: »

If she has more than £8,000 in capital, either as savings or equity in her home, she is not eligible for legal aid.

Usual !!!!, favoring the frivolous scum (excusing old aged, handicapped, vertically challenged etc.) who waste their money, and penalising those who save a few £££'s for their future.