Families of low paid key workers who died lose eligibility to claim benefits if paid the compensation.

[HeIenaDove]

This is the £60"000 being paid per person under the Gov. compensation scheme.

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/aug/21/uk-families-bereaved-by-covid-19-lose-eligibility-for-welfare-benefits?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Key workers...................keep this in mind IF there is a second wave.

I think people seem to have forgotten what benefits are meant to be for, short term help to get you through a difficult situation or to support those who genuinely cannot work eg older people (pensions) and the long term disabled. £60,000 is far more than they would receive in even 2 years, bereavement benefits are paid on top. I'm not sure what people would expect - allow the tax payer to give payments to one family with £60k because they died of x but not another because they died of something else?

I thought these were unprecedented times...................thats the reply people get when asking about how long mask wearing will go on for or when asking if they can meet up with family for a cup of tea. Cant have it both ways.

Just read the article. This seems so unfair. People should be exempt like the Windrush and Grenfell families. Just shows how sincere Hancock is NOT

Replying to
@doctor_oxford
and
@MattHancock
So is the £500 bonus to care workers in Wales. Westminster refused not to deduct Tax and NI contributions from the amount and will also be taken into consideration when calculating benefit entitlement. Thanks Key Workers Clapping hands signRainbowFace with symbols over mouth
Benbo Baggins
@BenboBaggins123
·
8h
Replying to
@doctor_oxford
and
@MattHancock
Then of course, because they will have 'survived' on this lump sum for longer than 'x' number of months/years, when it runs out, they won't be eligible to reclaim those lost benefits because they'll have been 'outside the system' for whatever arbitary length of time is dictated.
Sharon is a Campbell
@SharonC86093487
·
5h
And they will need to prove they didn't 'squander' the COMPENSATION by way of receipts showing how they lived their grief stricken days.

Welfare benefits are there for when families have no money, not thousands in the bank regardless of how the funds were gained. Likewise even without the compensation if the NHS worker had their own personal life insurance policy that left funds over the welfare threshold, the benefits system wouldn't be eligible for the bereaved family. It would also be the same for people in other professions that receive a death in service payment.

Ah, so if you have money (say two doctors in the family and one died) it's compensation for your loss.

If you don't have money (say single parent carer who died) then the money is instead of benefits.

@minnieok I think you're forgetting that a lot of people who work receive benefits. I am one of them.

Oh so these arent unprecedented times then. I will keep that in mind if there is a second or local lockdown.

The government will then decide that that money should last them for years, will take months to sort out any future payments, and they’ll be worse off for their loved ones sacrifice. Classy.

Tbh 60k is very little anyway in most jobs.
Dp on say £25k is still only 3y after tax money. Very little when compared to the 27y he has before retirement.
For a dr it's maybe 6m money.

I can see why it would remove benefits but i can also see what you mean op.
As it's not like if you are employed they will take wages back

@HeIenaDove

Ah, so if you have money (say two doctors in the family and one died) it's compensation for your loss.

If you don't have money (say single parent carer who died) then the money is instead of benefits.

Nope, it's still compensation for your loss. Some people will need it to live off, others won't. That's life.

Why then is it ok for the Windrush and Grenfall compensation to be exempt?

Its right that the Windrush and Grenfell compensation is exempt.

And this should be too.