Lost purse with benefits in

missbiggles1

pmlindyloo wrote: »

The OP has two young children. This is totally different to being an appointee for someone over the age of 16 where you would be expected to use the money for their benefit.

There are no hard and fast rules about what DLA can be spent on in the case of it being awarded to a young child (as in the OP's case)

Yes, it has been awarded to the child for their care and mobility needs but there are no check ups done in the case of young children (or anyone under the age of 16 yrs)

I think posters have given the OP a very hard time. She does not appear to be 'well off' and she is waiting to hear about a claim for tax credits.

We have no idea of the OP's situation and how she uses the DLA money to benefit her child. If it is used to provide food and shelter in a tough situation then I for one am not concerned.

This is how DLA/PIP/AA works. The original intention behind the awards was to award extra money to provide support for additional needs. It has long been accepted that keeping a track on this is a non starter. Most people use these non means tested benefits to supplement their income.

How is the OP any different to the majority receiving these benefits?

If it's acceptable and normal to use it for anything you like then surely it needs to be both taxable and (more importantly) used for means testing other benefits?

It seems to me that you can't have it both ways.

[Deleted User]

In my case, I was forced to use my older son's DLA to top up the rent because LHA rules (in spite of him having diagnosed ASD and needing his own room because of this) didn't allow for this, I was only allowed to have LHA for a 2 bed house.

It wasn't a luxury, it was an essential, but there was no other way to cover the cost. I had to pay this for nearly two years, because then when my son turned 16 in January and according to LHA rules was allowed to have his own room, LHA could only go up once a year and I had moved in in April. So I had another 8 months or so to go.

You have to live with trying to manage limited finances with a child/young person with special needs to get it. People who don't seem to love assuming you are going to be spending it on anything but the child.

Mrs_Ryan

Just wanted to say about the comment of people using cash when they have a debit card- it happens.
OH works and he has a Visa Debit card but he won't use it- he withdraws a large amount of cash once a week to pay for the groceries and petrol.

tea-bag

Most people use these non means tested benefits to supplement their income.

You see it all the time on here, they panic when the kid turns 16, There are MANY disabilities that have NO additional cost attached to them. DLA/PIP in my opinion is one of the most abused benefits out there. Added in with carers allowance. Like most things it is a good idea with good intentions at the time but with so many now THINKING they are disabled and not just impaired as it fits their lifestyle.

It needs to be scrapped.

Mr_Costcutter

missbiggles1 wrote: »

If it's acceptable and normal to use it for anything you like then surely it needs to be both taxable and (more importantly) used for means testing other benefits?

It seems to me that you can't have it both ways.

I absolutely agee. However, call me a 'silly old fool' if you like, but I do believe that the majority of parents do actually use this benefit to support their child's disability. For a number of years I have worked voluntarily for a charity which supports children who have a whole range of problems. I take my hat off to all the parents of these children who spend considerable time, money and effort in trying to help their offspring. The money is spent on additional heating costs, sessions with physio/speech/occupational therapists (NHS services being strethched) - so many other ways too. I do not believe that the money is just cashed and spent on 'the housekeeping'. Yes, no doubt this does happen in many cases, but I do not think in the 'majority'.

Poppie68

Oh look the disability bashers have crawled out of their holes.....scurry back in and just worry about keeping your own house in order.

Mr_Costcutter

tea-bag wrote: »

There are MANY disabilities that have NO additional cost attached to them. .

Perhaps you could clarify this statement please.

Poppie68

Mr_Costcutter wrote: »

Perhaps you could clarify this statement please.

I wouldn't worry he just gets off on bashing people in need....

missbiggles1

Mr_Costcutter wrote: »

Perhaps you could clarify this statement please.

I partly agreed with the poster's comment, so I'll answer from my late husband's experience.

He had very severe COPD, was on oxygen for years and received high rate AA. I can honestly say that he had virtually no extra expenses from his disability. We spent a few hundred on extra bits of kit (a pulse oxymeter being one) which lasted for years but that was about it.

He refused to apply for AA (and DLA before that) for years because of this but decided a couple of years ago to apply for AA so that we could spend it on someone to come in and do the garden to lighten the load for me and let me spend more time with him. We specifically didn't lump it in with household income because we knew it could be removed at any time and he didn't want me to miss the money when he died.

One regular poster on DT openly admits he's repaid his mortgage from his DLA because he has no additional expenses, so my husband certainly isn't alone in this.

mumps

camelot1971 wrote: »

When I worked on Crisis Loans for the DWP, the amount of wallets and purses that were lost every day would cover the streets of the UK.....funnily enough though I have never in my life come across a "dropped" purse or wallet.

It was also funny how everyone always took every penny of their money out in cash rather than taking out what they need, even when they have a bank account and debit card.

Not that I am accusing the OP of anything, of course.

We were out shopping once, many years ago before my husband was disabled. My husband saw someone drop a brown envelope. He picked it up and it wasn't sealed and he could see a wad of £20 notes, there must have been at least £2,000. He ran after the couple and said, "I think you dropped something." The man was rude and they walked off. My husband was standing there trying to think what to do next when the man ran up and said he had dropped something, took the envelope and left.

A thank you would have been nice.