Not sure where to post but its related to benefits!

Leighan

Alice_Holt wrote: »

Tell the council at the same time as the DWP.
You need to inform both of any change in circumstances.
Just telling the DWP could lead to an overpayment of HB & CTr.

Keep proof that you have notified them both of the change in circumstances, in case of any admin errors / confusion.

I have a contact at the council who has been helpful in the past as I contact them via email as I'm deaf. I will email them when I know the amount and ask for emails for the people I need to contact. Hopefully they will know someone within the DWP they can give me an email address for, if they maybe ring them first on my behalf and explain.

Do they tell you how long they expect your money to last and when you would be able to reapply for means tested benefits or a list of what they would consider 'depletion of accounts'?

I don't need much but the flooring has been in since I moved here and I've never got round to affording someone to come and redecorate for me and been here 10yrs so it's about time it was done. Other than the scooter I have all regular household appliances and furnitures. Though the IKEA sofabed I've had since 2001, that could do with replacing! I've only hung onto it for sentimental reasons (it was my older dogs favourite place to lie and where she passed away). Can't drive and don't want a car so there's nothing else that would cost 'thousands' that I want or need other than a really good scooter for all the off-road walks I like to take my dogs on! Might treat the dog to new dog bike trailer, big enough to squeeze another doggy in too

Am I allowed put some in a seperate account like an ISA or to keep seperate for like emergency vet fee's or an amount I'd want to go to a dog charity to whoever took my dog in and rehomed him if anything should happen to me? Would this be included in the future when they were working out if I was under £16K again? ..or would I have to spend all that too first?

Alice_Holt

There's nothing in your list of purchases / expenditure that's likely to be considered deprivation of assets. Normal household replacements / maintenance would be fine.

"Where individuals spend, transfer or give away any money, the DWP will consider whether they have deliberately deprived themselves of that money in order to secure, or increase, entitlement to benefits. "

As nannytone said if you were to spend it on luxury items / holidays, or give it to relatives the DWP may consider that you have done that to regain benefits.
Once you are down to £16k in total (including ISA's and all emergency fund accounts), you can reclaim.

Do check that the ESA is income-based. For some people in the support group it can be contribution-based.

Best wishes.

w06

purely being nosy, but which all terrain chair are you thinking of? I've been pondering one too, not a chance for now for me but there are some great chairs out there. I fear my hounds would comandere it and take themselves out!

Leighan

w06 wrote: »

purely being nosy, but which all terrain chair are you thinking of? I've been pondering one too, not a chance for now for me but there are some great chairs out there. I fear my hounds would comandere it and take themselves out!

lol!... I like the Tramper but not sure of the dimensions. Mine fits in a specific spot in my hallway. If I go too big I'd need to get a scooter store too which would be more difficult getting to it transferring between chair/scooter etc. I might get one of those add on trikes instead with some mountain bike wheels for my old manual chair. That way the batteries are lithium can be charged 'off-bike' and can carry a spare which will satisfy my anxiety of batteries running out away from home and scooter being too big to fit in brothers car (to get an emergency ride home!) With the Quad controls I'd need (as can't manage motorbike style throttle) it would be about £4,000.

I've always wanted to have a go on the hybrid ones that are like handcycles but with battery back up so may get a home demo!

Tried to post a link but it won't let me just google 'Batec Hybrid' and look for the link to the video on Youtube.

w06

they look good don't they, the fitting in a car/stowing away vs functionality issue is a big one agreed. There are places you can hire one for a day or two near off road trails etc.

you could always go the whole hog .... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ottobock-ScoutCrawler-All-Terrain-Wheelchair-Powerchair/dp/B01BNMCSAS :¬)

anyhoo don't want to derail the thread!

WillowCat

Consider opening a personal pension scheme. You can pay in £2880 per tax year, which the government will make up to £3,600. It will be tied up until you are 55, but most importantly it will not be included as capital while you are under state pension age. I understand that pension contributions are not considered deprivation of capital (and indeed if you were working you are allowed to make pension contributions which then give increased entitlement to benefits).

Once you reach 55, if you have no capital left, you can then withdraw it in chunks as and when you need it.

Leighan

WillowCat wrote: »

Consider opening a personal pension scheme. You can pay in £2880 per tax year, which the government will make up to £3,600. It will be tied up until you are 55, but most importantly it will not be included as capital while you are under state pension age. I understand that pension contributions are not considered deprivation of capital (and indeed if you were working you are allowed to make pension contributions which then give increased entitlement to benefits).

Once you reach 55, if you have no capital left, you can then withdraw it in chunks as and when you need it.

Thats a brilliant idea thanks! The thought had crossed my mind about whether I could save some for a private pension but there's so many schemes I don't know where to start. Which company is the one you mention with?

Alice_Holt

It would be worth maintaining the ESA claim (even if you can't receive payments) as it should enable you to continue getting NI contributions towards your state pension.


Re starting a SIPP / personal pension. It might be worth putting a post on the MSE Pension forum.

The main considerations would include:

When do you intend to withdraw the money from the personal pension / SIPP.
What investments would you put into the pension tax wrapper. If you have a short period (i.e 5 years) till you intend to access it then you would probably want to keep it in cash / money market. If you intend to hold it longer (more than 10 years), then you may wish to consider putting a % into equity funds.

What are the platform costs. Most have annual % fees (or a flat rate), and a charge to withdraw money. If you are holding cash / cash funds then the return on these may be less than the annual fees. However, if you will be a non tax payer when you withdraw the money (in stages over a number of tax years), you benefit from the tax uplift of £720 annually (on £2880) and this will more than offset fees.

What is your state pension forecast and what other pension provision do you have. If it's likely that you would be eligible for Pension Credit, then it may not be advantageous.

Here is a link to one of the most popular providers of SIPP's. - http://www.hl.co.uk/pensions/sipp

Pension Wise & the Pension Advisory Service may be useful sources on info.
https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/
https://www.pensionwise.gov.uk/?gclid=CjwKEAjwh9PGBRCfso2n3ODgvUcSJAAhpW5oQxBOIlKpCOvnU9ZhAIzCExBgIbFHOZ4_LcRHBqApRxoCIxfw_wcB

Leighan

Sorry can't quote you Alice Holt cos it won't let me use links

How can I maintain the ESA claim? Won't it stop when I tell them I the money in my bank? along with HB

You're getting too technical with the pensions thing I don't understand what that means. If I paid in £2,880 for govt to top up to £3,600 for the first year then added £2,000 every tax year until I was 55, then I'd see how much money I had left (from the account the £70k had originally gone into) and whether I needed to take out a lump sum or could put another £2,000 for that year and leave it another year. I'd probably put it in each year I could until it got to stage I had more in that and not enough in the other!...then I'd start taking out lump sum's. ...unless I could go back on benefits once the main account dropped under 16k as you said the money in the pension wouldn't be counted as capital whilst I was under retirement age? (not sure what age that is for females?)

If I kept adding to it until pension age then wouldn't I start getting a monthly private pension from it once I reached retirement age? I thought that's what the plan was for?

Alice_Holt

Re ESA. You should be able to continue your claim as a "credits only" claim to receive Class 1 NI credits if you are unfit for work, but this is subject to the same assessment regime as ESA.
So when you contact the DWP to tell them about the money don't ask to close your claim, rather ask to continue a "credits only" claim.

From https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility
"Ill, disabled or on sick pay
Your situation How to get NI credits
You’re on Employment and Support Allowance, or Unemployability Supplement or Allowance - You get Class 1 credits automatically
You’re not on Employment and Support Allowance but you satisfy the conditions for it - Contact your local Jobcentre to claim Class 1 credits"

Sorry my pension post is rather technical.
Pension Wise & / or the Pension Advisory Service may be clearer.

The recent Pension freedoms mean that you can take money out directly from age 55, rather than getting a very small annuity (monthly private pension) from it once you reached retirement age. It's now much more flexible.