Means tested benefits and being left things in will

Francis1980

Say you receive IS, housing benefit etc and you get left a property or something in someone's will (I'm not, but just say for example). Will that mean the benefits will stop unless I sell the property and spend it all bar £6,000? Even though I could use the property to stay in?

If that was the case wouldn't one be better off asking the will maker to leave the property or whatever to another sibling? The reason being I'm sure people would rather seeing a sibling get it than it "dissapearing" to the government.

And don't jump on me accusing me of trying to find workarounds to fraud the system I just wanna hear your opinions.

minimadtrix

Why not move in the house - live there rent free, so stop claiming housing benefits. You'd still get full Council Tax Benefit as you'd still receive IS - surely you'd be no worse off.

If you sell the property you would then have to explain to the DWP that you have used the x amount of pounds you made on the property. They would still stop your benefits if you squandered it on x amount of holidays, a porsche and a 42" plasma, when you usually have a week in Blackpool, drive round in your old banger and have a black and white telly!!!

As for asking the will maker to leave the property to someone else - why???

seven-day-weekend

Just live in the house and think yourself lucky!

Why do people jump through such hoops to get means-tested benefits, which should only be for the very poorest, even to the extent of refusing a valuable assett such as a rent/mortgage-free home???

donnalove

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Just live in the house and think yourself lucky!

Why do people jump through such hoops to get means-tested benefits, which should only be for the very poorest, even to the extent of refusing a valuable assett such as a rent/mortgage-free home???

probably because the people that are bequesting the inheritance don't want to see it squandered or landing in the governments pockets.

seven-day-weekend

Why will living in it be 'squandering' it or 'landing it in the Government's lap?

It's a free home for heavens sake and if the recipient lives in it for themselves the only benefit they will lose AFAIK is Housing Benefit, which they will no longer need.

[Deleted User]

If this a hypothetical question, should it not be in a discussion board?

seven-day-weekend

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

If this a hypothetical question, should it not be in a discussion board?

Yes, it should.

real1314

donnalove wrote: »

probably because the people that are bequesting the inheritance don't want to see it squandered or landing in the governments pockets.

So, should the Earl Of Devonshire's socialite daughter who has a £5.7m inheritance in the bank be able to claim JSA, HB and CTB on her rented belgravia flat?

From your post she should.

donnalove

real1314 wrote: »

So, should the Earl Of Devonshire's socialite daughter who has a £5.7m inheritance in the bank be able to claim JSA, HB and CTB on her rented belgravia flat?

From your post she should.

now come on get real, we are talking about real people here not the rich and mighty.

One day you might realise that some of the *older folk* before our generation are very agaisnt there hard earned money going back to the government after they have managed to save there hard earned cash and aquire property. So if they had a relative that was on a means-tested benefit they would i'm afraid bequest it elsewhere.
This would *NOT* be the fault of the person claiming means-tested benefit.

Penny-Pincher!!

Sell the house and live off the profits then there will be no need to claim benefits!

PP
xx

Penelope_Penguin

Francis1980 wrote: »

If that was the case wouldn't one be better off asking the will maker to leave the property or whatever to another sibling? The reason being I'm sure people would rather seeing a sibling get it than it "dissapearing" to the government.

If you were to live in the house, how would tht be "disappearing to the government"