To spend money when I don’t have any idea where it’s come from?

[NobodyLivesHere]

On checking my bank account this morning there is £600 in there that I can’t account for. The only info is an account number I don’t recognise.
I desperately need a plumber to come out and unblock some outside pipes and it’s been causing me a lot of stress as I can’t afford it. I’m off sick from work after a life altering accident and I’m a single parent to 3 including a disabled child, my savings have been eaten by this and there’s no telling when or even if I’ll be able to return to work.

I know I should report this money to my bank. But part of me wants to use £150 of it to do the work needed. And then if I have to pay it back set up a payment plan.

is this awful? It’s awful isn’t it? And yet it’s just….there.

I have to admit my first reaction would be yippee; then I'd start to worry and try to find out where it came from to return it!

A friend of ours was once struggling financially and her dog needed vet care she couldn’t afford. We did a whip round and posted the money in a card through her letter box (in the days before transfers were so easy). I don’t think anyone of us ever let on. May be it’s something like that?

Oh yeah karma will come get you, it gets all the "baddies"!

Ridiculous statement.

It is actually an offence to "retain a wrongful credit". I would contact the bank ASAP to put yourself in the clear either way. In the event it's a a mistake, you're no worse off than before. If it's not, you can call the plumber & have a bit spare.

Just a thought OP - are you on Universal Credit? Did you join the savings scheme when it came out? I believe the first round of bonuses are due currently (although you should have received notification by email or letter) and if you paid the minimum amount into it, the bonus will be £600...

...and if you do get to keep the money, I don't think you should spend it on the drains! It will set a precedence and is likely to happen again and again. Hold tight and be strong if you can. Seek advice from Shelter and look for somewhere else to live.

God i hope its this and op gets to keep it.
And landlord is made to sort her problem so the money is hers to keep.

I was over paid by £99 once by the bank - they didn't contact me or take it back. I used it to go on a weekend break (long time ago) when I was literally such a bad place in mu life. I took it as Gods Intervention!!!!
Use £150 to get the plumbing done as this is priority and deal with it later

the bank have just called me back and said that it’s a bank transfer, they’ve contacted the other party and it’s not an error. That’s all they’d tell me, so I think it must be something like this! I’m so confused and grateful and I’ve just cried like a knob.

@NobodyLivesHere well then you've had good karma, so the previous PP can stick that!

Excellent news, pleased for you.

👏

Oh my goodness, that's lovely! I am really pleased for you but do NOT spend one single penny of it on your scummy landlord's drains.

Ahh wonderful news on the money. But please don't spend it on the sewer pipe. Your landlord absolutely has to fix this, sewage flooding in to a house/garden is a category 1 hazard.

Also it sounds as if the soil pipe needs to be dug out, replaced and retrenched, which will cost a lot more than £600.

Please report this to environmental health.

Disgraceful attitude

That’s lovely. I’m so glad. You deserve this.

That's brilliant OP! Deffo listen to other posters about not spending money to fit your landlords problem. Hope you feel better soon

Great news! PLEASE don't spend it on the drains!!
Treat yourself or use it towards finding somewhere nice to live.

I’m not going to spend it on the drains. Or at least I’m going to withhold the money spent from the rent which is due and he can just cope. I’ve emailed shelter who have already responded with some advice and I’ll talk to them in person Tuesday. Hospital OT is also on the case.

I’m so glad I posted here. I wasn’t going to, but people have really made me feel better and helped me. It’s been an awful few weeks so is good to know there are still nice people around. Thanks to everyone who replied I really appreciate it.

It was time-consuming to check this mystery payment. I realise now that if I ever want to send a gift to someone, even anonymously, I should enter something in the 'reference ' box like 'a gift for @NobodyLivesHere '.

It was a lovely thing to do.

Have you got a 'help to save' account? They paid £600 into my account from that a few weeks ago and I was baffled also

@NobodyLivesHere do you have one of the government 'help to save' accounts? If you've been paying in £50 a month for 2 years, you'll have saved £1,200 and the 50% government bonus would account for the £600.

I only read the OP's updates and JUST saw the previous reply!

Even if that accounts for the unexpected money, I think you'd be mad to spend your savings or bonus on someone else's house.
I hope you get sorted OP.

Stealing someone else's money will not end well.

She hasn't done this.

Perhaps you should learn how to filter and read OPs posts?

Otherwise your contribution is irrelevant.

Glad you're feeling supported OP. I detest people like your landlord. Careful about withholding rent - get advice from Shelter about that, it can sometimes cause more issues than it's worth, as the landlord can then use that against you. (Unless you have to get repairs and pay, then recoup that way, but I'm not even sure about that!).