pension pay out and benefits

Alice_Holt

Without appearing too hard hearted, I do think there are limits to the responsibility you can take for your father.

Your father, brother, and sister have created this mess. Your brother and sister should have realised that accepting large sums from a family member in receipt of means-tested benefits would have serious repercussions. (Particularly bearing in mind the previous fraud conviction).

Until now your father has had the income to drink himself stupid. Now, the situation is different.
You could, possibly (I think), with a PoA arrange for the PIP and pension to be paid to an account in your name from which you pay the rent directly, council tax directly, and maybe utility bills. This will need to be topped up with contributions from yourself, and your siblings. Your father could then be allocated, say, £70 a week (equivalent to the basic ESA amount which many people have to survive on) from that account.
It is his decision whether use that money to eat, pay for TV etc, or to drink himself to death. Hopefully, this may be a trigger for him to seek help with his alcoholism.

You will have helped him avoid homelessness, and provided him money for food. Whether he accepts that help is a decision only he can make.

olivia84

Oh not hard hearted at all Alice. I am very grateful for any opinions and advice. My dad was actually at A&E a couple of days ago with a muscle weakness condition he has been diagnosed with and the doctor there apparently said to him that alcohol is 99% the reason for his health conditions and if he wanted to stop he would admit him right there and then and help him detox but he said no; he's too old and what would be the point. There really isn't any helping him. All I can do is keep him in a house; keep him fed (when he eats) and try to keep him out of trouble with the benefits agencies. It's a shame for him but so frustrating too. When you see the amount of money he receives it does anger you. He's being paid to sit at home all day getting smashed and on some occasions be abusive to people; but he's still my dad. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him (even though the drink will eventually kill him) my other half is quite a 'conservative' person and believes all his benefits should be taken off him; but I feel sorry for him.

Anyways..... Something I totally forgot about: the little £95 per month pension he receives : this pension is actually documented in divorce paperwork from when he and my step mother divorced ; that when it matures it should go to the children (my 2 brothers and sister) it is actually paid to my dad in the form of this £95 per month annuity. But this big lump sum is apparently a different policy, but this money has actually went to my brother and sister. I wonder if the benefits agencies would accept this as an allowed route for the money?

Sorry, I keep throwing things into the mix here!

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