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Original poster

UC and savings

58 replies

lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 11:45

Hello

My dad has just come into some money from my grandads will. My Nan is in a home now so the house is sold and my grandad who’s died half has been to probate and released.
he has earmarked money for me and my sister,
He has earmarked £15000 for me on the provision I am to book and pay for a Florida holiday which is £7000 and then I am allowed to use the other £8000 towards buying a new car as I have saved £6000 myself to go towards the car I need.

I recieve HRC and LRM pip, my son recieves HRC and LRM DLA. We need the car I buying for reliability, low mileage, good warranty. I did have a car on finance but that was wrote off and can’t refinance atm because I don’t work. Although I am training to find a job I can go Into.

I know I can have £6000 in savings, which I could move to my son’s account for now.

My question js if I recieved a cheque from ny dad for the £8000 for the car (and I get him to pay the holiday directly from his bank account.) and then I was to spend that within 2 weeks of it clearing as my car is nearly ready to would I be sanctioned, or having a reduction of UC for one month?

the car garage doesn’t rake card payments, it’s only bank transfer due to scams and chargebacks and my dad doesn’t do online banking and transfers

OP posts:
CoastalCalm · 25/05/2025 11:46

The garage would take cash or a bankers draft straight from your dad I’d imagine

PickANumber · 25/05/2025 11:48

Why do you have to spend it on specific things?
Why are you putting up with this?
a holiday isn’t going magically make any debts or high cost repayments disappear

pinkdelight · 25/05/2025 11:48

Even if your dad doesn’t do online banking, he could still go into a branch to do the transfer, couldn’t he? Simpler for him to pay for both rather than have the money go through you and makes sense as he’s gifting you a car and a holiday whereas if he gifts you the money and you spend it on those things, that opens up more of a can of worms.

Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:04

@PickANumber as I have always wanted to take my kids to Florida, I went a lot as a kid. So my dad wants me to get something memorable from the money as my grandad lived for his holidays once he retired. He saved and saved when he worked to then travel the world. So it would be fitting.

My car I asked to actually borrow £8000 of my dad but then found out that I had this money so I don’t need to borrow it.

my debts aren’t high. I just can’t afford to lose UC

OP posts:
Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:06

@pinkdelighthe has said he will pay it into my kids account as they have £2000 each into their accounts. I will clear my £6000 savings to pay for Florida and use the £15000 he pays into my kids account to pay the car as I can bank transfer from their account as they have my surname x

OP posts:
Picklechicken · 25/05/2025 14:06

Surely just get your Dad to pay for both the holiday and the car?

Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:09

@Picklechickenyhe holiday is £7000. And car £14000
i have £6000 saved. I need the other 15000 from him. But he doesn’t bank transfer inky cheque so I have to get the cheque into my account. But dad suggested into my child’s account to avoid UC

OP posts:
Ariela · 25/05/2025 14:21

Why can't your dad pay the garage for the car directly?

pinkdelight · 25/05/2025 14:23

Even if you get away with it, I think involving your kids' accounts looks/feels wrong, like you know you're doing something dodgy and are using the kids as a front. Honestly just get him to pay for both things himself. There are ways to do that without him needing to do online banking.

Miley23 · 25/05/2025 14:24

You can't just pay large sums of money into your son's account to avoid the savings limit. UC will soon catch up with you for that.

House0fBamboo · 25/05/2025 14:25

The issue you have with child's accounts is once you start using them, they are no longer wholly in the child's beneficial interest and uc might see the whole account as your savings. You can't transfer money from an account in their name if you are telling uc that their savings are not yours. Presumably you've declared the children's account and uc have agreed that they are the beneficial owners?

Miley23 · 25/05/2025 14:30

You need to look up the rules on deprivation of assets.

Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:44

@House0fBambooi didn’t realise you had to declare children’s accounts? As it’s a child account.
it will simply be a one time thing. If it was inheritance in my name then I would have had to declare it. I believe it’s basically how inheritance and he’s earmarked so much for each of us.

He is saying he doesn’t have the time to come with me and pay cash, my dad is very cautious and worries about things. The car garage specifically said bank transfer only due to scams etc, so I am stuck.

i am looking to change mine and the kids banks to a better interest rate etc anyways. indont do any transfers from their account to mine at all, but it is going to my disabled child’s account so actually then could say this couldn’t I

OP posts:
pinkdelight · 25/05/2025 14:53

lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:44

@House0fBambooi didn’t realise you had to declare children’s accounts? As it’s a child account.
it will simply be a one time thing. If it was inheritance in my name then I would have had to declare it. I believe it’s basically how inheritance and he’s earmarked so much for each of us.

He is saying he doesn’t have the time to come with me and pay cash, my dad is very cautious and worries about things. The car garage specifically said bank transfer only due to scams etc, so I am stuck.

i am looking to change mine and the kids banks to a better interest rate etc anyways. indont do any transfers from their account to mine at all, but it is going to my disabled child’s account so actually then could say this couldn’t I

He doesn't have to come with you and pay cash. He can give you the cash and you pay. Or sort the payment in his local branch. If he doesn't ever do online banking, he must go to the bank often or have ways to pay for things that don't involve cheques. The more you talk about funnelling it through your disabled kid's account to avoid detection, the worse it sounds tbh. I started off sympathising and thinking you could simply get your dad to buy the things and push on, but now it feels like you should do the right thing and keep it all above board because if/when they do find out you've used the kid's account to hide your funds, that's not going to go well.

Chasingsquirrels · 25/05/2025 14:54

Please get your dad to pay direct rather than via your, or the kids accounts.

Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:56

@pinkdelightmy intention was to do it through mine.

my savings is £6000 pay off the car before he gives me the cheque.

him pay the holiday off for me of £7000 online with his credit card as he will do that. Just not online bank transfers as doesn’t have online banking,

then give me a cheque for £8000 to pay the rest of the car of. Which would take me £2000 over the threshold for literally 4 days.

he is just worried that being over for 4 rays will stop and affect my claim so he thought this would be the best option. I will ring the garage again and ask about cash but I doubt they will.

OP posts:
Miley23 · 25/05/2025 14:58

lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 14:56

@pinkdelightmy intention was to do it through mine.

my savings is £6000 pay off the car before he gives me the cheque.

him pay the holiday off for me of £7000 online with his credit card as he will do that. Just not online bank transfers as doesn’t have online banking,

then give me a cheque for £8000 to pay the rest of the car of. Which would take me £2000 over the threshold for literally 4 days.

he is just worried that being over for 4 rays will stop and affect my claim so he thought this would be the best option. I will ring the garage again and ask about cash but I doubt they will.

You need to be prepared that UC could query large chunks of money like 14k going out of your account and large chunks coming in.

House0fBamboo · 25/05/2025 14:59

Children's accounts aren't counted if they are the beneficial owner. You using the account means that they are not - even once. Uc can ask for details of them as your name is on them. You don't have to declare an isa or ctf and I'd suggest you transfer the savings accounts into ISAs so that they can not be accessed until they're 18.

RandomMess · 25/05/2025 15:02

He could get a building society/bank cheque. That is the equivalent of a transfer as it’s guaranteed.

JollyGreenSleeves · 25/05/2025 15:04

Your dad will have to find a way of directly paying towards the car, any financial transaction into your or your children’s accounts will be queried. At the end of the day he isn’t giving you money, he is buying you a holiday and putting towards your car.

mylovedoesitgood · 25/05/2025 15:57

DWP check bank accounts, I take it you’re unaware of this. This is all so wrong of you and your dad, I hope you get caught if the money comes into your account. Personally I would declare it all to DWP.

BCSurvivor · 25/05/2025 16:01

mylovedoesitgood · 25/05/2025 15:57

DWP check bank accounts, I take it you’re unaware of this. This is all so wrong of you and your dad, I hope you get caught if the money comes into your account. Personally I would declare it all to DWP.

I agree with this, you're just being greedy and trying to cheat the system.

Original poster
lifeisrubbish123 · 25/05/2025 16:05

I want to make it as best as possible. He suggests this way but I have posted here to see if there was any other solutions to being able to sort it with UC.

I personally didn’t feel that DWP would check my kids bank as it was a first saver account. And usually I do use his lower mobility towards the car and upkeep etc because he needs the use of the car, if it was just me I would make do without. So I didn’t realise that it would have been a issue as it’s gifting to us for us both to use,

So I will get him to put it into my account and if I get hit with fees from UC so be it. Would gettinf a letter from my dad help to show it was a gift for a car?

OP posts:
WeirdlyObsessedByPremiumBonds · 25/05/2025 16:12

Just let him pay in into your account, declare it and pay what's owed. You will be 2000 over for 4 days? It will be minimal, (a quick google says 34.80 per month) and as long as you aren't buying a sports car it won't be an issue if they query what it was spent on.

Everygrain · 25/05/2025 16:17

If it's a gift from your dad, I would just let him buy you the holiday and car.