Are winnings taken as income when claiming?

Heycock

The losers who walk out of the pubs straight into the bookies every day certainly aren't working!

Queen_b_5

I'm in cahoots with someone else and so the money shows up on my statements simply as a transfer from their account.

I'm worried I'll need receipts to prove that they are winnings and not payments for sly bits of work on the side or whatever.

scootw1

Queen_b wrote: »

I'm in cahoots with someone else and so the money shows up on my statements simply as a transfer from their account.

I'm worried I'll need receipts to prove that they are winnings and not payments for sly bits of work on the side or whatever.

Again, I ask how you can afford to gamble when on benefits? I'm guessing you have quite a bit coming in from DLA and Mental Illness. They always seem to get a fair wodge. A couple of people I know are on that and they spend their days playing fruit machines and supping away. They don;t seem very ill to me. They know what they are doing when it comes to the gambling.

Errata

Queen_b wrote: »

I'm in cahoots with someone else and so the money shows up on my statements simply as a transfer from their account.

QUOTE]
In that case the 'someone else' is providing you with a income.

HappyMJ

scootw1 wrote: »

Again, I ask how you can afford to gamble when on benefits? I'm guessing you have quite a bit coming in from DLA and Mental Illness. They always seem to get a fair wodge. A couple of people I know are on that and they spend their days playing fruit machines and supping away. They don;t seem very ill to me. They know what they are doing when it comes to the gambling.

Gambling can be a "no lose" gamble. For example yesterday I put about £45 on Man U to win but also put £60 on Man City to win with another bookie and £45 on the draw with someone else. No matter what I got back £150 winning 1 bet and losing 2 bets...no profit but also no loss either....but the real profit comes with the free bets with each bookie. This profit is not counted as income for benefit purposes but is counted as capital when the money has been returned to the bank account. The money I made on gambling like this when on benefits and using this strategy I used just as the couple of people you knew and spent it on a few pints down the pub...I avoid fruit machines though as they are a waste of time.

HappyMJ

Errata wrote: »

In that case the 'someone else' is providing you with a income.

An income or a gambling winnings? I could argue it's not income. I've done that with a few friends..."Let me use your name and ID with this bookie offer (one which I had already used) and I'll go halves with you on the profit." It's sharing the winnings from gambling which isn't income.

Queen_b_5

That is what I thought, HappyMJ.

All I want to know is if anyone has had experience with this and what evidence the HB people will need as to the source of the money?

zagfles

HappyMJ wrote: »

An income or a gambling winnings? I could argue it's not income. I've done that with a few friends..."Let me use your name and ID with this bookie offer (one which I had already used) and I'll go halves with you on the profit." It's sharing the winnings from gambling which isn't income.

But they aren't your gambling winnings, they are your friend's gambling winnings, as the account is in your friends name.

If you take part of his winnings for providing a service to him, ie finding a good bonus, finding a good match/arb, and placing the bet, that is (arguably) income for providing the service to your friend. Or worse, possibly fraud. See this discussion on the MB forum:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4330801

HappyMJ

Queen_b wrote: »

That is what I thought, HappyMJ.

All I want to know is if anyone has had experience with this and what evidence the HB people will need as to the source of the money?

Just your declaration should be enough. The entries on your bank statement should say something like Bookie ONE Ltd., Bookie TWO Ltd....etc. You could if they get really picky about it then get transaction histories from the bookies concerned. Careful you never accrue more than £6,000 combined in all your accounts in your name as they can reduce your benefit payment by £1 for every £250 you have over £6,000.

HappyMJ

zagfles wrote: »

But they aren't your gambling winnings, they are your friend's gambling winnings, as the account is in your friends name.

If you take part of his winnings for providing a service to him, ie finding a good bonus, finding a good match/arb, and placing the bet, that is (arguably) income for providing the service to your friend. Or worse, possibly fraud. See this discussion on the MB forum:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4330801

The gambling is done in the claimants name so the entire winnings are the claimants and the claimant is gifting some money back to the mate for finding the bonuses and actually placing the bet so instead of being income it's winnings and there is a gift to the mate. We can't allow gambling winnings as income as gambling expenses could be considered a tax deduction and the UK government will never allow that.