Money for son on benefits

[DrRuthGalloway]

Hi.
Since my son was born we have saved him money and had intended to hand over the pot on his 21 birthday. It will be 10k. Originally we thought this could be used to buy a car or start a house deposit.

However DS is autistic and unable to work in paid employment at the minute, or for foreseeable - next few years anyway.

We intend to support him to claim benefits as he currently has zero income and lives with us.

I recently found out that the savings would lead to a reduction in any benefits he could claim. Obviously we don't want that.

Can we keep the pot of money and maybe give him a small amount each month instead? Would this enable him to claim all his benefits? It seems wrong that the money we carefully set aside each month for years when we had nothing should be used to reduce what he is entitled to as a disabled person.

*keep the lump sum I mean, for his sole use, but not transferred direct to him?

whose name is the account in?

Is it in your name? If yes then of course so

Hey OP, as long as the 10k is in your name and not your sons then that would not cause any problems regarding his benefits x

Where is the money? In yours or his name?

Does he get PIP??

Personally, I wouldn't hand it over just yet if it's in your name.

Help him apply for the benefits, as you've said, including PIP. Let the dust settle and see how he's coping and then have some time to think about how you want to use it to benefit him.

He doesn't get pip as we haven't applied. It is something to do over Summer. He will need a supporter to initiate the request.

The money is in my name but in a high interest (ha!) Child savings account, it appears on my bank statement as "Ruth Galloway re Charlie" (substituted names!)

Does he have his name on the account too. I do with my Childrens accounts.

ive never heard of a supporter for a PIP claim?

Basically as he is an adult he is expected to manage and initiate his own claim; he isn't able to do this and I need to get rubber stamped by someone to act on his behalf....I think.

His first name only is on the account, but he has no access to it at present...it's in my accounts.

You could give him £5k and it wouldn't affect his benefits (the cut-off is actually £6k but if he had £5k in savings it would allow for up to £1k in his current account).

How old is he now? If he's 16 or over, you really should start the PIP claim for him - it takes ages. You start by calling the PIP helpline, answering some basic questions, and then they send a long application form and a deadline to return it. That's the bit you should get help with if you need it.

Is he able to manage benefit claims? If not I would suggest that you become an appointee for him - see www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

Are you getting any benefits atm, presumably child benefit and maybe child tax credits or universal credit too? You need to be aware that as soon as he claims universal credit in his own right (when he's 18 or older) you will no longer receive benefits for him, so it would be worth waiting until your CB / CTC / child element of UC have stopped before he claims UC.

If you tell me how old he is and whether you're getting any benefits I can give you a bit more specific advice.

Is he in education btw or has he left college/school recently??

I don't think PIP is means tested?

It isn't.

You can become DS’s appointee to allow you to act on his behalf for benefits.

It sounds like the account is DS’s account rather your account so would have to be declared if DS (or an appointee on his behalf) applies for a means tested benefit such as UC.

Pip isn’t means tested and it won’t matter how much he has in savings or if he works - as long as what he does at work doesn’t counteract what he says he can do in his forms. (Obviously other benefits may be different).

It is the Universal Credit that is affected by savings. he can have up to 6k without it affecting his Uc claim. Is he still in education?

He is not in education, employment or training as of a month or so ago. No plans.

He is 20

Yes your plan is better
Keep the money in your name and buy big things that he wants from it. It isn't actually his money as it's in your account. That you saved it "for him" in your account but haven't given him is what matters. If you give it to him he won't be able to claim all the means tested benefits he will be entitled to so why would you gift him money right now when he's just lose the same amount ?

You've saved it to help him - it'll be more help you buying him a holiday or an adapted laptop with dragon technology or an iPad or something he wants, as he wants it, than putting money into his bank account from yours.

"why would you gift him money right now when he's just lose the same amount ?"

Not true. If OP gave him £10k, he would lose £69.60/month in deductions from his Universal Credit.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/on-universal-credit/check-how-much-universal-credit-youll-get/#h-work-out-if-your-capital-makes-a-difference

@DrRuthGalloway, in addition to starting a PIP claim ASAP as I've already advised, your son should also claim Universal Credit ASAP. If he/you need help with it, you can contact the Help to Claim service:
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/helptoclaim/

He will need to provide "fit notes" from his GP and will eventually be asked to complete a Capability for Work Questionnaire (UC50) and then have a Work Capability Assessment. Depending on the outcome his UC might stay the same or be increased.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/getting-universal-credit-if-youre-sick-or-disabled/

Is there any risk he could be vulnerable if he had control of this money himself? Is he capable of understanding what the money is for and taking care to ensure it doesn't get wasted? Is there anything it could be used for that might improve his employability?

You can apply to be one an appointee at the same time as claiming benefits.

www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits

He is academically capable, but has no life skills. He would not waste the money. He spends almost nothing. He doesn't want anything much. His passion is online gaming but the games are cheap or free. I worry about him forgetting to eat and starving when we are gone, rather than buying loads of unnecessary stuff.

He was on a supported internship but they terminated it as they couldn't find a placement that could be adapted sufficiently for his communication needs.