Deprivation of Capital

FBaby

I do feel for you because unless you are a regular lurker here or know people on benefit, this business of deprivation of capital is something few know about. Yet it does make sense when you think what benefits are intended for and where they come from. They come from people working and paying taxes, many of who can't benefit from wonderful holidays with their families, but would if they paid less taxes. Benefits are rightly to allow people not to end up on the street. If you have money, whether through working or any other means, this should be spent first to support yourself. If you go even deeper in the thinking, it would not be much different to someone working, spending 6k on a holiday and then asking to get benefits whilst working because all their salary is going to repay the cost of the holiday.

However, as you've said yourself, hinsight is a good thing... you have now spend on the money and can't get any of it back. If you'd known, it is very likely you would not have spent it on the things you did. I do hope it won't mess your life too much as you didn't do anything intentionally but only through like of proper thinking and knowledge.

Oldernotwiser

Pollycat wrote: »

Maybe so, but my parents were on an assessed income period so any change in their savings did not have to be declared to the DWP.

Andy may have received the booklet every year regarding his Income support (not a benefit that my parents got so I don't really know) to say what changes he had to advise but does everybody really read all that stuff?
I do, because that's how I am and my parents were paranoid about being paid benefits that they weren't entitled to but not everybody does, especially as a single parent with very young children.

As my parents didn't qualify for CTB or HB I don't know what the literature from the council says about advising them.

I'm not saying the OP was right - I'm just saying that I could see how this happened.

If you're sent information and don't read it, you can't complain. Particularly if you've signed to indicate your acceptance.

Oldernotwiser

Andy_Colombini wrote: »

The money that I have spent, fixing my car (twice), buying things for my kids, helping my older son with the work on his flat, are perfectly reasonable in my very humble opinion. They have virtually disregarded everything to come to the notional fund of £12700, which means that it takes me £11 per week over the qualifying total.
.

Mending your car is one thing but you really cannot expect to give away money that should be used to support yourself and your family and then claim public money for day to day expenses.

real1314

Andy_Colombini wrote: »

This pension gave me a lump sum of £14K and a monthly annuity of £216 per month.

Today I received a letter telling me that I had £12700 (they called it notional) in the bank and therefore due to this I was not entitled to any income support and consequently no other benefit... since the 23rd February; this has taken them 8 months to come to this conclusion, based on what they called deprivation of capital.


I spoke to the housing benefit people who advised me that they had been notified by DWP that Income support had been stopped, so they are now going to suspend my housing benefit and council tax benefit. I will then have £216 per month pension, £230 of Child tax credit and about £140 of child benefit, my rent is £1350 per month.... in the poo to say the least... could someone advise me. Thanks

1. It seems clear that DWP have decided that £1300 of your spending was acceptable. They appear to have accepted that some of your expenses were ok.

2. You should apply for HB and CTB directly from the council, you may still be eligible for something.

3. The loss of £15 per week should be adjusted against the notional capital figure of £12,700 until such point that the notional capital level reduces to a point where you become re-entitled. Any reduction to HB and CTB should also be considered. e.g if you lose £10 pw HB and £2 CTB, the total loss of £27 per week should be considered; i.e £1400 per year.
:cool:

AfricanViolet

Removed

removed

Pollycat

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you're sent information and don't read it, you can't complain. Particularly if you've signed to indicate your acceptance.

I wasn't complaining, as I said I do read information sent by the DWP.

And:

Pollycat wrote: »

I'm not saying the OP was right - I'm just saying that I could see how this happened.

Oldernotwiser

Pollycat wrote: »

I wasn't complaining, as I said I do read information sent by the DWP.

And:

I never said that you personally were complaining or didn't read things. I would have said "one" except it sounds affected.

sunnyone

Andy_Colombini wrote: »

valid point about the pension, once again the benefit of hindsight. Retirement is never going to be an option for me

People who decide to have another family post 45 cant expect to retire with their pier group who had kids twenty years earlier or at the same time as you had your first family twenty nine years ago.

Pollycat

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you're sent information and don't read it, you can't complain. Particularly if you've signed to indicate your acceptance.

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I never said that you personally were complaining or didn't read things. I would have said "one" except it sounds affected.

OK, I get it, you simply can't understand how the OP got himself in this mess.

Oldernotwiser

Pollycat wrote: »

OK, I get it, you simply can't understand how the OP got himself in this mess.

No - I understand perfectly well.