Means tested benefits and being left things in will

Francis1980

I'm assuming if you owned a house (or had a share in a house) your Income Support and Council tax benefit would stop? Even if you had under £6,000 hard cash in the bank.

healy

Francis1980 wrote: »

I'm assuming if you owned a house (or had a share in a house) your Income Support and Council tax benefit would stop? Even if you had under £6,000 hard cash in the bank.

If you owned and lived in one house you would be entitled to the benefits as long as you met the other rules, but if you owned more than one house you would be deemed to have capital and benefits would stop.

real1314

donnalove wrote: »

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.

So, you don't agree with the idea of ALL people being able to protect their legacy from "the government", now all we have to do is work out the level of legacy you think should be exempt.

Now, given that some people earn as little at £110 a week but pay tax and get no help from the government, and that those people will never have savings of any substantial amount, should their tax payments be used to give someone with £16,000 a free income?

seven-day-weekend

If you own a house and live in it, if you are on a low income you can claim CTB. If you ae not working you can claim JSA or IS. If you are sick/disabled you can claim IB/IS and/or DLA. If you are past Retirement age you can claim State Pension and Pension Credits if on a low income..

The only benefit AFAIKyou will not be eligible for if you own your home rather than rent, is Housing Benefit (because you won't be paying any rent).

If you have more than one house, the one you do not live in will be counted as capital. But if you only have one and live in it, is is classed as your home.

So, someone could inherit a house under someone's will, live in it and keep their benefits if their circumstances had not otherwise changed.

Hope this helps.

seven-day-weekend

Francis1980 wrote: »

I'm assuming if you owned a house (or had a share in a house) your Income Support and Council tax benefit would stop? Even if you had under £6,000 hard cash in the bank.

This is not correct if you live in the house, see my post above.

Francis1980

That's good to know thanks for that

real1314

I think the exact(or approximate) phrase is along the lines of - a property occupied as the home is fully disregarded - I think it could even be 2 properties if a family is big enough to need 2. e.g 2 x 2 bed houses for a family of 2 adults and 6 kids?

donnalove

real1314 wrote: »

So, you don't agree with the idea of ALL people being able to protect their legacy from "the government", now all we have to do is work out the level of legacy you think should be exempt.

Now, given that some people earn as little at £110 a week but pay tax and get no help from the government, and that those people will never have savings of any substantial amount, should their tax payments be used to give someone with £16,000 a free income?

i will answer this although it is off topic *again*

you are quoting ridiculours examples of people who are so rich that most of them have never done a hard days work in there life. If she is getting an inheritance that size she wouldn't need to claim benefits.

Also i have not said anyone should have a free income . would you like to quote where i said that?.

read it properly

I am saying that most older peeps don't want to see there hard earned money squandered by the government. so *there* choice would be to bequest it elsewhere if the origanal person they were bequesting it too *was* on benefits. I have not said to hide it so they can claim benefits.

i think you are forgetting that most of the people bequesting this money have worked hard and paid taxes(even on money saved) and many of them have never claimed a penny themselves from the state except there rightful pension.

Francis1980

And the value of your home wouldn't matter? Could you still claim IS even if you lived alone in a £1m mansion in a posh area?

lil_me

A 'young lady' using term loosely, who lived near me previously live in a home she was given (in her name) by her parents worth £745000 (well that's what was paid for it) and as far as I am aware claimed IS and CTB living there because she had a 'low income'.