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

Waves_and_Smiles

Thank you so much, I will write to social services again. I cannot use phones as I have phobia of them, its a schizophrenic thing. My partner currently spends every night with his mum when her carers leave and then drives back to me when they turn up. He makes sure I am ok and have taken my medication and am bathed and dressed and then cleans the house before he dashes back to his mum. He is so tired and also heartbroken that he will likely lose her soon. We are both very close to her (she used to be my carer until she became too ill so that he could work).

He doesn't work at all due to my needs and neither of us have any money saved at all. In fact I owe £1000 on a credit card that I used to try and pay for food when this situation started but I realise I can't keep doing this because I can't pay it back. We chose not to have children as I couldn't have given them the life they deserved and all of my family are dead there is no one who can help.

I will talk to my friend about the store cards and see if he feels happy with doing that. I don't want to contact the DWP again and ask as I am very paranoid about breaking the law and write to them about every little thing as it is. They are probably sick of me by now.

Thank you so much for helping me, I am so very grateful.

[Deleted User]

How about a pre-pay debit card? They could top up money on the card when they wanted to, and you could spend it in any shop or online?

Something like this: http://www.quiditycard.com/how_to_top_up_your_pre_pay_card.html

They can also top the card up at the post-office

Waves_and_Smiles

Thank you much, that may actually work as he has a lot of trust int he security of banking systems.

Would I need to tell the DWP that he is giving me the money anyway? I don't want to do anything against the law.

[Deleted User]

I guess there may be an issue because it's still 'money'. Maybe supermarket cards are the best way forward..

I wonder what the delivery charges are on Asda gift cards : http://cards.asda.com/ ?

Housing_Benefit_Officer

MidnightHour wrote: »

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

Utter rubbish. Cash gifts are disregarded as income.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/251809/dmg-vol5-ch28.pdf

28490 onwards

terra_ferma

The way I see it, if he chooses to open a pre-paid card in his name and buy gifts for you it's his business. But I don't know the legal position unfortunately

Waves_and_Smiles

So perhaps it would seen as a Voluntary donation from Housing Benefit Officers link? (Thank you so much for replying btw,you must get enough of this at work so it means a lot that you post). He wants to write to the DWP and say what the money is for and I am happy to post my monthly receipts to them so that they can see it is being spent on healthy food. There won't be any treats like cigarettes or alcohol on there. I know that sounds silly but I am willing to let them see anything they wish.I just need prepared fruit and veg because I cannot use knives or lift pans so something already cut up that I can spoon out would be perfect. He cannot give me more than £25 a week as a lump sum as this is coming out of his pension (and it means the world to me that he would share it with me).

Thank you to everyone, I feel calmer already.

Morglin

worried_and_scared wrote: »

Can you kind people please try to help me again? Please forgive me for the length, I have schizophrenia and the only way I can make myself understood is by going into detail.

I receive DLA, Housing and ESA support group benefits and need a carer. My carer and partner is having to spend a lot of time with his very ill elderly mother (which i totally understand) so is unable to be with me as much. Because he still does well over 35 hours a week with me social services cannot help. They suggested I apply for PIP as I only get mid-rate care and have needed night care too form many years but as I ended up sectioned on the strength of filling in the ESA form I am terrified to do this, particularly without my partner here for support at present.

I use all of my DLA and a lot of my ESA to pay for private carers which has left me with £15 a week for food. I have severe arthritis and psoriasis in my hands which means I cannot lift pots and I rely on more expensive prepared food. I have been living off of value ready meals and bread which have caused weight gain which is making my arthritis and blood sugar worse (I am diabetic too).

A dear friend has offered to give me £25 a week into my bank account to be spent on healthier foods only but I do not know if this will affect my benefits? I never use cash (I am housebound) so everything I buy will be clear on my bank statements which I am happy to share with the DWP. I only have my food delivered so it would clearly say where the money went if they add up all the transactions.

I have no idea if money could be transferred onto a supermarket store card instead and I get confused looking so I am sorry that I haven't checked that out. I know I am pathetic but I get scared.

I hope this makes sense as it has taken 3 days to write it and don't know how to make myself clearer. Thank you all so much for any help, I would be lost without this forum.

You are legally entitled, as is your carer, for an assessment by Social Services to help with any needs you have.

Ring the Disability Team at your local council, and insist that one is done, as it is your right. Part of the assessment will cover finances etc., and help you need.

Any arguments - speak to a manager, or write in to the Director of Social Services, at your council.

If you need help with that, then ring the CAB, and ask for some assistance, as they often have a disability adviser.

Don't be fobbed off - your partner cannot cope, you need help, and they have a legal obligation to assist you.

As for your friend's offer, there is nothing to prevent him buying a gift voucher for a supermarket and giving it to you, as small gifts would not affect anything. If he cannot get out, there is nothing to prevent you or your partner buying the voucher for him to then give to you.

Lin

letthemeatcake

its a valid question. However i wonder if your friend could just buy the prepared fruit and veg when he does his own shopping and either bring it round to your house or get your partner to collect it on the way home from his Mother's house?

blindio

25 pounds a week isnt enough to affect your benefit i dont think, i was caring for my disabled sibling well theirs 2 of them and i was getting carers for one when they lived at home and i in my little flat and my mum supplemented the carers allowance with cash into my account regularly though sometimes not every week it was a consistent amount that i want to say was 50 pounds a week or so and i never had any problems, if you spend it as fast as you recieve it and youve no savings it shouldnt affect your claim at all, ask jobcentre plus all the questions you need to feel well safe i guess, i empathise with your issues, my nan passed on just before christmas after years of dementia, while i know its not the same any decent human being should do their level best to help people with mental health issues to my mind