Can my friend give me £25 a week for food while on benefits?

Waves_and_Smiles

Sorted out thanks to wonderful people on this forum x

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

Could you friend just order an internet shop to be delivered to you? With £25 worth of food?

MidnightHour

You can be gifted anything, cash though in a bank account would count as regular income.

Waves_and_Smiles

It would be ideal if my friend could send me a shopping delivery but he is 79 and doesn't trust online food shopping. He just got caught in a scam where someone called him and put a virus on his computer and asked him for £144 to remove it which he gave so is very wary of giving any card details to anything other than his bank. He says he will write to the DWP and tell them it is only for food for as long as the present circumstances last but it probably won't help.

I a so sorry for taking up your time, I hate that it has even coe to this. I am a burden on everyone, my carers,my friend, taxpayers and my partner. My partner just cried last night because he is so tired rushing between me and his mum and he feels guilty about me. He can't help out with money because of all of his is going on petrol to travel between us. I am so so sorry, I am just pointless.

MidnightHour

You are not pointless.

I think you need some help and should contact social services to get some support, this is what they are there for.

If you are over a certain age contact AGEUK too can help.

Mojisola

worried_and_scared wrote: »

Because he still does well over 35 hours a week with me social services cannot help.

worried_and_scared wrote: »

My partner just cried last night because he is so tired rushing between me and his mum and he feels guilty about me.

Your partner needs to get on the phone to SS and tell them that he's at breaking point and can't continue the level of care that you need. Is he getting Carer's Allowance for looking after you?

Do you have a Crossroads Care group in your area? They help the carer by providing someone to stay with the person needing care so that they can get a few hours to themselves.

If your kind friend would buy supermarket gift cards and give them to you, you can spend them when you shop. A regular gift of money into your bank could raise problems.

Mojisola

Has your partner had a Carer's Assessment - https://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/guide/assessments/Pages/Carersassessments.aspx
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-help/care-and-support/carers-assessment

Waves_and_Smiles

Yes he receives carers allowance for me but has been pretty much left to get on with it for the last 6 years. I am more worried about him than me right now, he is a proud man and rarely shows sad emotions so for him to cry he's suffering a lot. I will try and persuade him to call social services although it will be a battle as he sees asking for help as a reflection on him not being good enough.

How do supermarket gift cards work please? Could my friend get one card and top it up online for me? I can't ask him to post one every week, he isn't in the best of health himself. Also is there lots of reassurance that his credit card is safe? He is very nervous of anything online since the scam.

Thank you again for all of your kindness. It helps so much just to know people take time to reply. It makes me feel a lot less alone.

Icequeen99

Have you had an assessment by social services?

Do you have substantial savings or does your partner work?

If you need care, then either it can be provided by social services or you can receive direct payments to pay for private carers. You should not be left struggling like this and it certainly sounds like your partner needs support.

IQ

Mojisola

worried_and_scared wrote: »

How do supermarket gift cards work please? Could my friend get one card and top it up online for me? I can't ask him to post one every week, he isn't in the best of health himself. Also is there lots of reassurance that his credit card is safe? He is very nervous of anything online since the scam.

I've only used them from one shop but I imagine they're all much the same. You can choose the amount of money you want to put on each card - I bought some for a Christmas present, £5 on each card so that a friend could have a treat when she wanted. Check the supermarket you use for their card use.

There's nothing to stop you having carers provided by the SS just because your partner gets CA for you. If you need help for more than the 35 hours he is providing or need help at times when he isn't available, they should be helping you.

MidnightHour

Asda gift cards can be bought online but only used in store, so probably no use if you shop online.

Tesco giftcards can only be bought in store but can be spent online.

If you shop at iceland they will accept paypal, so if you have a paypal account he could send you a gift that way.