If You Were On Means Tested Benefits And Had

[sandyRoe]

A lottery win of a few thousand which made you ineligible for support would you tell the authorities?
I'll agonize over this dilemma when it happens.

[emmie]

it wouldn;t necessarily mean you don't get help. I have a few savings which i have told the DWP about, they asked me to send them details, bank statements, no problem they said.

[Bobbisox1]

Yes I would before someone else did it before me

[emmie]

https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1258538/benefits-help-how-much-savings-on-benefits

[emmie]

would someone dob you in Bobbi....

i told them what i had and it was well below the government guidelines, so a couple of thousand if you won that on the lottery
sandy shouldn't make a difference, as long as you tell them.

[emmie]

you haven't won anything have you???

[Ken4155]

I have read somewhere, that if your bank account suddenly grows by quite a substantial amount, then the bank has to report this. Probably as a precaution to money laundering, but i would imagine the DWP would then get wind of it and, if the amount was more than the 'allowed' savings, then benefits would be adjusted accordingly. So, my answer is that i would inform the DWP only if the winnings were substantially more than the 'allowance'. One could always claim to be a member of a family syndicate and 'hide' some of the winnings in other accounts.

[Bobbisox1]

No idea Emmie having never been in that fortunate position :0)

[emmie]

my link sandy gives you all the info on what you can have in savings.

[emmie]

Ken, no good doing that. Hiding money in other accounts is tantamount to fraud.

[emmie]

Claimants under state pension age claiming benefits can continue to claim benefits with £6,000 in savings.

The amount increases to £10,000 for those over the state pension age of 65.

If someone, or their partner, has £16,000 or more in savings they can't claim any of the benefits.

People who have savings in between £6,000 and £16,000 will have a portion of their total amount treated as a monthly income.


from the link i provided....sandy good luck

[Ken4155]

Take Pension credits, which is means tested; the first £10,000 of any savings does not count and will not impact the benefit. So why bother telling the DWP about winning a couple of grand?

[emmie]

i would any way. Just to keep them off your back.

[emmie]

they have a habit of asking you to supply oodles of info, as they did to me recently. Nothing had changed but they were just checking....

[Ken4155]

It may actually get them 'on your back' Emmie. Sort of, "Oh, why is this person telling us they've won £2K? Something fishy here, let's investigate further."

[emmie]

don't think so.

[Ken4155]

Maybe just my cynicism, Emmie. But i find cynicism comes through experience. Back in the very early 80s, i was unemployed for almost 3 years, despite attending 6 or 7 interviews per week. Despite re-visiting firms numerous times, pestering them about my applications. Despite applying for almost every job my local paper advertised. Then the DWP were the DHSS with the emphasis very much on the SS, and throughout those 3 years in the wilderness, they were never off my back. The name may have changed, but.........
Obviously your experiences with them have been better than mine :-)

[emmie]

i am only going on my own recent experiences, i was once asked for 5 years worth of bank statements. Me and the woman in the Job centre had a right row about that

[THECORBYLOON]

The DWP has the legal right to contact banks to obtain the evidence needed to decide a claimant's entitlement to benefit but banks are not obliged to let DWP know about increases in savings.

There are different limits for various benefits and DWP would be swamped with needless notifications on folk not receiving benefits in the first place.

[emmie]

with the links i have provided for sandy he should be ok. if he hasn't won anything then sorry better luck next time

[ladybirder]

Em, as an aside, how did you get on with the doctors today? Any help?