Giving money to someone on benefits

Balls_Of_Steel

Rache wrote: »

Does anyone know the best way to give money to someone on benefits without it affecting their entitlement to benefits?

Just give CASH, who's going to find out?

Rache_2

Balls_Of_Steel wrote: »

Just give CASH, who's going to find out?

I'm a bit worried about sending cash through the post (especially during the strike!) as we live 400 miles away. But yes, if it comes to it, that's what I'll be doing.

lemontart

You can get a prepaid debit card and top it up any paypoint site - splashplastic appears to be most suitable for this and you can get cash back when you buy one via topcashback.com

got one for my daughter to use whilst at uni so I can top up and just tell her the voucher number etc

I had a prob with the benefits peeps when my mother helped me out and she similarly had probs couples yrs back when my now step dad paid for some work to be done to her house and put money in her account so she could pay the builder rather than writing a cheque to them himself.

liz

Rache_2

lemontart wrote: »

You can get a prepaid debit card and top it up any paypoint site - splashplastic appears to be most suitable for this and you can get cash back when you buy one via topcashback.com

got one for my daughter to use whilst at uni so I can top up and just tell her the voucher number etc

liz

This sounds good -off to investigate. Thank you!

ceridwen

He is very lucky to have such a caring relative.

I'll second vouchers - believe Tesco do them (in which case so will Sainsbury).

Am wondering whether there is still such a thing as postal orders? As I recall from using them many years ago - they do cost a little for you to buy - but then he would cash them at his post office. Think that was how it used to work. Think they are still in existence. Worth finding out to see.

I cant see how "Dept of Stealth and total Insecurity" (whatever they are called these days) would find out if you ordered a supermarket shop on line and had it delivered to him. It is pretty unlikely they would have one of their "spyvans" outside in the street - they wouldnt be likely to be monitoring him unless they had previously suspected him of black economy work - and anyway, he could always have paid for the goods himself.

Rache_2

ceridwen wrote: »

He is very lucky to have such a caring relative.

I'll second vouchers - believe Tesco do them (in which case so will Sainsbury).

Am wondering whether there is still such a thing as postal orders? As I recall from using them many years ago - they do cost a little for you to buy - but then he would cash them at his post office. Think that was how it used to work. Think they are still in existence. Worth finding out to see.

I cant see how "Dept of Stealth and total Insecurity" (whatever they are called these days) would find out if you ordered a supermarket shop on line and had it delivered to him. It is pretty unlikely they would have one of their "spyvans" outside in the street - they wouldnt be likely to be monitoring him unless they had previously suspected him of black economy work - and anyway, he could always have paid for the goods himself.

Thank you.

I think my favourite idea so far is a combination of vouchers (probably Tesco, and I could post them to him regularly to help him budget) and irregular cash gifts and the odd internet shop, together with generous Xmas and birthday presents. I may also get him a card on my credit card (which we pay off every month) so if he gets really stuck he can use it in emergencies.

Thanks so much everyone for giving me all these options and sharing your experiences by PM. :grouphug:

ian_duncan_smith

If he suffered a bout of depression that would count as a disability and immediately shift him off JSA onto Income Support with a disability premium. This will roughly double his income. If you could show that you take care of him in some way that falls within the remit of the DSS then you may be able to claim attendance allowance as well. You do not have to declare birthday gifts, or winnings from gambling. You can make improvements to his house. Does he claim any form of rebate or help from the utilities charitable trusts?

Rache_2

ian_duncan_smith wrote: »

If he suffered a bout of depression that would count as a disability and immediately shift him off JSA onto Income Support with a disability premium. This will roughly double his income. If you could show that you take care of him in some way that falls within the remit of the DSS then you may be able to claim attendance allowance as well. You do not have to declare birthday gifts, or winnings from gambling. You can make improvements to his house. Does he claim any form of rebate or help from the utilities charitable trusts?

He is now fit to work so wouldn't qualify for Income Support/Disability or Incapacity AFAIK. I don't take care of him in any real sense as I live so far away: money is the only thing I can really help with. It's not his house, it's housing association, but it's good to know I could help him out with the house - it might cheer him up a bit tbh as it's awfully drab - he has bought things from charity shops mostly and it could do with a woman's touch. Re: utilities charitable trusts - I haven't come across this, so I'm off for a quick google.

Thank you.

Rache_2

IDS - thanks for that. I'll find out who is utilities people are, and that might well be a real help. The other thing that you've reminded me of is that as he is a former member of a professional organisation, that he might be able to get help from their benevolent fund. I've just written to them for information.

LittleVoice

Rache wrote: »

Thank you.

I think my favourite idea so far is a combination of vouchers (probably Tesco, and I could post them to him regularly to help him budget) and irregular cash gifts and the odd internet shop, together with generous Xmas and birthday presents. I may also get him a card on my credit card (which we pay off every month) so if he gets really stuck he can use it in emergencies.

Thanks so much everyone for giving me all these options and sharing your experiences by PM. :grouphug:

You probably don't need this word of warning - but you would be taking a risk if you used 1st or 2nd class mail for vouchers with a cash value. To have the contents covered, you should use Special Delivery which costs £4.30 for £500-worth of cover.