Inheritance and benefits and going back to work

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Sorry I know this has been done to death. My DF died two years ago and his will has finally finished probate and I will be getting £60k in the next few days. This time last year not an issue but since then DH has been diagnosed and received treatment for stage 4 cancer, he was self employed before diagnosis running our B&B which has now closed and we are moving to a smaller house in the spring.

He gets PIP and ESA and is in the support group so think he gets them until November 2019. I had to cut my working hours at work to help facilitate treatment and have used this time to help build up my small business.

At the moment we get ESA, PIP, WTC and CTC, what will get affected by the inheritance? I will be increasing my hours now that, touch wood, he seems to be cancer free.

He gets bored and would like to do some work next year, but does get tired easily, how many hours a week can he work and how will it affect what we get at the moment.

Just don't want to fall foul of claiming to many benefits when we shouldn't.

Just to add, some of the money will be going towards a much needed holiday and the st will be going in a fund which will gain interest which will go on the tax returns at the end of each year which I do.

Do you know if his ESA is contributions based or income based? Assuming it's the former (because of your other income) this will not be affected by your increased income or the inheritance.

PIP is not means tested so no change there.

WTC and CTC are only affected by income and interest from savings, not the capital itself. However if you are moved to Universal Credit your capital will affect your claim. You need to check whether you are in a full service Universal Credit area, as once you move to that you will lose the WTC and CTC equivalent.

Thank you for replying, his ESA is contributions based and will continue to pay HMRC as we did before.

UC seems to be rolling out about now but for new claimants at the moment,.

You need to check specifically for your area. If you're in a "live" area you should not be transferred, but if you are in a "full service" area then certain changes of circumstance can result in a "natural migration" to UC without transitional protection. It's not just new claimants that are affected.

I will double check but on the council website, it is going live in our area between now and January but not full service, will double check though.

Thank you for your help

If it contributions based ESA ( which I assume it is) then nothing is affected by the inheritance except that you would need to declare any interest over £300 earned on the money for tax credit renewal. However with interest rates being so low at present, this may not even affect you. You do need to be careful when you switch to Universal credit as any savings over 16k and you will not be eligible. However it may be years before you are switched and even then you may get transitional protection so may not be affected.

With regards to work, it has to be less than 16 hours, and under about £110/wk off the top of my head. It need to be declared immediately and passed as Permitted Work by the decision maker.

You should declare it as a change and let them delivered idea if it's relevant

I would advise you to keep every single receipt, so that if in the future you need to- then you can prove where and how you spent the money.

So the holiday, keep the receipts for the holiday, taxi to airport, foreign exchange money

If you buy a tv or a pair of earrings etc just keep the receipt, as then you can prove with dated receipt you’re telling the truth

I’m cynical and not very trusting and have heard to many people say well it went on this and that, then to be told well prove it as for all we know you withdrew it to reduce your capital to claim benefits

I don't think you can claim ESA if you have savings over a certain amount. I don't know what that is.

Thank you flicka for pointing me in that direction, google tells me that that is for income based not support based.

And ivy absolutely will start doing that as well

You cannot claim income related ESA with savings but contributions based ESA is based on NI contributions paid and not affected by savings.