Getting people who owe me money to help pay my debts

fuzexi

Hi
I am on Universal Credit, and have done some work for a project. They are asking me to invoice them, about £1000.  I also owe my solicitor quite a bit of money.
Is it legal/wrong to ask the people to send said £1000 to my solicitor directly? If it goes to my bank I will lost t least half of it because the Universal Credit will count it as income.
I don't want to do anything illegal/wrong, or get anyone else in trouble for doing the same. So that's why I'm asking. 
Hope I haven't broken any forum rules here.... not trying to, just want to ask a question.

[Deleted User]

If you have worked though then you should be asking for payment direct and declaring this. 

fuzexi

Yeah you're probably right... 

molerat

Avoiding declaring income is fraud, as simple as that.

poppy12345

Any earnings you receive must be reported onto your journal along with any expenses. Failing to do this is benefit fraud. Those that commit it will eventually be found out.

TELLIT01

There is no 'probably right' about it.  Failing to report income to UC is benefit fraud.

fuzexi

Yeah, that's why I was asking. I don't want to get on the wrong side of the law. One other question: if I borrow money from my parents to pay my solicitor, is that income too? 

oh_really

fuzexi said:

One other question: if I borrow money from my parents to pay my solicitor, is that income too? 

Why dont you have your parents settle the bill directly?

Spoonie_Turtle

fuzexi said:

Yeah, that's why I was asking. I don't want to get on the wrong side of the law. One other question: if I borrow money from my parents to pay my solicitor, is that income too? 

No, although if you still had the money at the end of your assessment period it would count as capital (but they don't care unless you have £6,000 or more in total).

Dale72

I think the best people to ask would be the advisors at the benefits office, not some randoms on a web site. Who knows, you may find that if the money isnt paid directly to you, then you may not have a reduction in your UC payment, it is supposed to give you a minimal amount to live on, so if you never had the £1000 then just maybe...

calcotti

Dale72 said:

I think the best people to ask would be the advisors at the benefits office, 

DWP staff are not benefits advisers, they are benefits administrators.

..not some randoms on a web site. 

Best shut this forum down then !