Deprivation of capital for UC & major home improvements

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Hi all,
I'm wondering what exactly will be cnsdierd deprivation of capital for UC reasons.
We have some savings and we have been adding to them for a long time.
We are going through the motions of home improvements, extension, kitchen, downstiars loo, as these things are needed for our growing family and we dont wish to move.
If we spend the money on these things, which we have been planning for a loan time and I have some evidence to prove such as dated emails, self drawn plans, emails to council, etc, if we come to claim UC for reasons such as losing jobs in the coming recession, what will UC feel about it?
The working is going to be in the order of 50k. We are currently mortgage free.
We have some savings and we have been adding to them for a long time.
We are going through the motions of home improvements, extension, kitchen, downstiars loo, as these things are needed for our growing family and we dont wish to move.
If we spend the money on these things, which we have been planning for a loan time and I have some evidence to prove such as dated emails, self drawn plans, emails to council, etc, if we come to claim UC for reasons such as losing jobs in the coming recession, what will UC feel about it?
The working is going to be in the order of 50k. We are currently mortgage free.
From what I read, paying down debt is considered reasoanble, funding a house is also reasonable, but I dont read anything about improving said house.
Does anyone have any knowledge of previous cases ?
It seems like a reasonable expense to me, I can't predict a future job lose and keep our life on hold, and it is our money earned from income.
But does UC have a time limit for deprivation of capital? I read that social care does not.
Thanks for reading.
Does anyone have any knowledge of previous cases ?
It seems like a reasonable expense to me, I can't predict a future job lose and keep our life on hold, and it is our money earned from income.
But does UC have a time limit for deprivation of capital? I read that social care does not.
Thanks for reading.
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Obviously if you lost a job leading to needing to claim, and then still went ahead with the work on the house, that could be deemed not reasonable because immediate living expenses should be more important than improving your home. But if you're reasonably secure for the moment with no foreseeable substantial loss of income in the near future, you shouldn't need to worry.
Edit: the only real 'time limit' for DoC prior to claiming is case-specific, going back to whenever someone first knew they would likely have to claim UC.
They seem like reasonable things to do. Spend more time with the kids, look after my future.
But, depending on ones point of view, having just spent all the money on home improvements and then making a claim after a reduction in income, it might start to raise a few flags?
I realise pension contributions are not counted for UC, but, coupled with spending savings, it could be seen as deprevation of capital/earnings for the purpose of claiming UC. But it isn't, it just happens that you might then qualify (so would be daft not to take it)
Pension contributions, that's a bit of a loophole in some respects and under the current legislation contributing towards your retirement funds subject to any restrictions in pension legislation - and thus ensuring you most likely won't need/qualify for state help after retirement - is currently allowed.
[We had a long thread with someone having to battle every month to get their pension contributions disregarded as income for UC, and actually had a civil servant getting snotty with them saying it wasn't supposed to work like that, but staff views on it don't change what the law actually says.]
Whilst Im not clued up on it as much as some who are, it's quite clear that with only 15hrs work required to qualify for UC that actually it's being used by some in exactly the manner suggested.
If I were to obtain agreement with my employer for a zero hours contract, I suppose then I would qualify.
I would imagine the latest govt announcement of being able to ask for flexible working from day one is related to this.
However I'm here to understand the rules, not the politcs.
They might not feel the same way about pension contribs from salary which is arguably more of a discretionary spend.
I may well be wrong (all new) but I dont believe I would find my/our self/selves below the threshold as it could affect NI contributions and thus future state pension if was earning that amount to be under AET ?