to think my boss shouldn't take money from me whilst refusing it from a colleague

[theredhen]

for a get well present for another colleague.

Both of us have offered to contribute.

My boss seems to think that my colleagues finances are not as good as mine, and therefore she has said she will take money from me, but will not from my colleague.

your boss may be right about your colleague - but if it's bothering you, then tell your boss you'll get your own present rather than put in to a collection

Boss got the present and a card and said it was from all of us, I thought it was right to offer a contribution once she had done it, as did my colleague.

I am a manager. You would be surprised the level of detail some people tell their manager about their life. I have also told someone not to put money into a collection, but not in front of other staff. You don't know what problems your colleague is facing.

The person I told not to put money in was in real financial crisis. Her OH left her with 3 kids and debt she had been unaware of. The police charged him with rape (a shock to her) and he basically disappeared.

She had also recently been diagnosed with a serious illness and it looked like she would be off having a major operation soon - so only getting statutory sick pay. She had no one to help her out financially. Nobody else in the company knew this, but I knew she needed every penny she had - but as she was a generous type person would still contribute to collections.

I would just assume that your manager knows things about your colleague's private life that you don't know. IME sometimes the people that are struggling the most are also those who pretend generally that everything is okay.