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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be gutted at losing my benefit

491 replies

Clappingforjoy · 03/12/2020 19:05

I am going to inherit some money from sale of parents house and have told universal credit to close my claim but I'm gutted about it.
I have always struggled never had 2 Penny's to rub together and it just so happens I will go over the 16000 mark with this money and know i must sound greedy but my income is very low and i am scared this money will all go on living costs.

OP posts:
roarfeckingroarr · 06/12/2020 12:32

@Waxonwaxoff0

2 pages in and already we have "taxpayers supporting you" "free money" etc.

Horrible bitter people.

But this is the truth. If it's said as fact, rather than nastily, how does that make someone horrible or bitter? People have it hard with rising living costs and many who work full time perhaps in multiple jobs won't have savings. Seeing someone who is receiving taxpayer support say they think they should still get it when they have a huge chunk of unearned savings is pretty galling.
Waxonwaxoff0 · 06/12/2020 13:42

@roarfeckingroarr I earn £8.75 an hour. I'm not arsed if other people have more savings than me because I'm not bitter. The OP has lost her parents which is why she has received this money, hardly an enviable situation.

Dreamingofsunnydays1 · 06/12/2020 13:53

It is crap but the line has to e drawn somewhere. Unfair though.

Warsawa31 · 06/12/2020 14:26

Hey op, I'd echo previous advice - buys something valuable that's holds it's value - ie a watch, gold or silver bars but not jewellery.

Get some advice from a lawyer but I think you'll be ok as long as it's not cash in the bank.

I totally get why you don't want to fritter it away on living expenses best of luck

MiddlesexGirl · 06/12/2020 14:38

Not a good idea. If DWP find out that will be notional capital. Then OP will have no benefits coming in and will have tied up their cash.

lalafafa · 06/12/2020 15:32

@Teach234

"I just want financial security"

Doesn't everyone? I don't have as much savings as you and I don't get 1 penny in benefits. It's not up to the state to make you financially secure.

this
Cocomarine · 06/12/2020 16:14

@Dreamingofsunnydays1

It is crap but the line has to e drawn somewhere. Unfair though.
@Dreamingofsunnydays1 interested that yoI think it’s unfair. Where would you draw the line then?

Currently OP can discount £16K which is more than the average savings in the UK. She can also spend some of the excess without any penalty, as long as it’s not obvious deprivation. The law allows her to keep even more if her circumstances allow her to put it towards housing. Finally, she can discount the excess by putting into a pension - in so doing boost it by 25% because of tax relief.

There are a lot of things that are unfair, but I think they’re pretty spot on with this one.

BMW6 · 06/12/2020 16:59

@Warsawa31

Hey op, I'd echo previous advice - buys something valuable that's holds it's value - ie a watch, gold or silver bars but not jewellery.

Get some advice from a lawyer but I think you'll be ok as long as it's not cash in the bank.

I totally get why you don't want to fritter it away on living expenses best of luck

"Fritter it away on living expenses"????? Hmm

Are fecking kidding me? People who work full time and struggle to meet their living expenses (let alone accumulate Savings) are FRITTERING away their money?

God forbid people should be responsible for buying the food they eat, paying for the utilities they consume and paying for the roof over their heads. Stupid people are just frittering it - make some other fucker pay for it all huh??

FFS

YoungScrappyHungry · 06/12/2020 17:13

^ What they said. This thread is fucking shameful.

Dreamingofsunnydays1 · 06/12/2020 17:46

@Cocomarine I mean the system can be unfair in some circumstances.

For example, the following scenarios:

Person A and person B lose their jobs. Person A has just spent their savings on a house deposit, so they have little savings left. They qualify for full help from the benefits system.
Person B has saved up £20k after saving for years and years to afford a house deposit but hasn't managed to buy a house yet. Person B now has to use their savings as the government deems they have too much.

I also think it's unfair that it takes your partner's income into account, even if you're not married. Yet unmarried couples don't get the benefits a married couple would get either.

But the system can't be fair to everyone.

Elsielouise13 · 06/12/2020 18:08

@Crankley

Precisely ApplePie86 I wonder how many of the taxpayers who pay for benefits have 26k sitting in their bank?
Exactly. I am genuinely amazed that people are supporting the use of taxation to cover living expenses for an individual with a cash holding.
namechanging202020 · 06/12/2020 19:09

This happened to someone I know who can't work due to disabilities lost housing benefit and council tax and now has to use the inheritance to live off whereas the other siblings could do what they wanted with it. It's unfair

BMW6 · 06/12/2020 19:14

Were the other siblings on benefits namechanging or were they working and therefore supporting themselves?

Can you not see the difference?

Eng123 · 06/12/2020 19:20

The welfare state is there to look after people falling on hard times. It is a bastion of what is good about this country along with the NHS. It is not free, it is not for someone to choose and it is not to pay the bills of those holding capital. It's not unfair to stop the receipt of benefits in these circumstances, it's unfair to burden those working and struggling.

Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 06/12/2020 19:53

It is what it is now I've accepted it

OP posts:
Oldsu · 06/12/2020 20:02

@Clappingforjoy

Apple I never said not work at all I want to work but only a certain amount of hours
Are you disabled?, sick?, caring for someone? sorry if I missed a post saying you are? because that sounds to me like not only do you want the state to pay you benefits when you have money, but also to top your wages up for purposely doing less hours to qualify for more benefit money, how is that fair to people who have to work full time or take 2 jobs because they don't have savings to fall back on. I have tried to read all 18 pages but cant see anything about you not being ABLE to work
movingonup20 · 06/12/2020 20:31

Why not use it to retrain to do a job your can work more hours at?

OffredOfjune · 06/12/2020 20:35

Are you disabled?, sick?, caring for someone? sorry if I missed a post saying you are?

She has stated this numerous times ...

Racoonworld · 06/12/2020 20:38

@Warsawa31

Hey op, I'd echo previous advice - buys something valuable that's holds it's value - ie a watch, gold or silver bars but not jewellery.

Get some advice from a lawyer but I think you'll be ok as long as it's not cash in the bank.

I totally get why you don't want to fritter it away on living expenses best of luck

IT is not 'frittering' away money to spend it on living expenses. Of course op should spend what money they have on living expenses before the state picks up the tab. Do you seriously think people should be sitting on thousands whilst the state pays for their living expenses? Many people who aren't entitled to benefits don't even have £6k savings, let alone much more. Should we all stop frittering away our money we earn on living expenses too and let others pay?
Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 06/12/2020 22:06

I totally understand what everybody is saying.
I have always been negative about money and sort of got depressed abt it because I've never had the money to even buy a washer without borrowing and I seem to be surrounded by people who can so i think my thinking has got a bit distorted by money because I've always struggled . I didnt mean to offend anybody and I know I'm fortunate to have this money and I apologise but wanted you all to know that I would never lose sight of what it means to be sitting on no savings at all.

OP posts:
namechanging202020 · 06/12/2020 22:23

@BMW6

Were the other siblings on benefits namechanging or were they working and therefore supporting themselves?

Can you not see the difference?

No they aren't but this person has disabilities it's not a choice not to work.
LadyFelsham · 06/12/2020 23:54

In that case, would it not be better for this guy's siblings to divide up the inheritance, so they got less of it and he got more?

Why should the state have to pick up the tab if his own family-who have just had an inheritance-don't think they have to?

If his siblings don't want to give him more of the inheritance then they obviously are fine with his situation. Why do you think the state shouldn't be?

YoungScrappyHungry · 07/12/2020 03:51

I still can't believe people have actually given advice on how OP can keep her mitts on money she has done nothing to earn whilst I'm sitting here working full time with £119 to last two weeks.

Absolute madness.

Xenia · 07/12/2020 12:38

Those with a disabled child are often helped to ensure the child is protected and safe were the parents to die. That will often be ensuring the child does not inherit whilst siblings do otherwise the child is dangerously exposed to no financial support once the limited inheritance has gone and benefits it has take years to work out go. That is kindness not wickedness.

However everyone must act within the law. If the state wants to change the law then the state can do so.

damnthatanxiety · 07/12/2020 16:48

@Diverseduvet

Spend some of the money on your house, new carpets, beds, decorating, then claim when you hit under 16k.
Hmmm...other people who are not on benefits don't have the luxury of new carpets, beds etc. Why do people feel that they should get benefits when they have savings of over £26K??? The fact that the OP didn't even earn this but was gifted it seems even more entitled.