Inheritance while on Universal Credit: what are my options?

[Stressedmum6761]

Hi everyone! 👋 I'm currently losing my marbles and need to speak to anyone who's been in the same boat.

My nanny passed away nearly 2 years ago now and it's taken a while for her things to be settled and sold etc. My family passed me a letter today addressed to me from my sweet, beautiful nan and a cheque for nearly £12K. I've been in absolute bits all day I keep bursting into tears. I've never had this much in my life and never ever expected anything from my nan at all and it's absolutely thrown me.

The thing is I know I should be absolutely THRILLED with this money, I'm on my own with DD who's 6 now. We've just moved into a council house 2 months ago and I'm on UC top up which also covers my rent, my job doesn't pay well but it's a school job and I get my holidays off with DD. I'm panicking more than anything because I know that as soon as I cash this cheque UC are going to deduct money each month (about £120 if my maths is correct).

My family said they know nan wanted me to put a deposit down on a house, which again I know if I get a mortgage my UC stops and I'm financially liable for the payments and any repairs etc if anything goes Pete Tong.

I'm thinking about just putting most of it in a LISA for now and potentially in the future buying a house...maybe a once in a lifetime holiday with the rest. I'm just torn because if I buy a house, I'll be so much worse off than I am now getting help from UC with rent payments etc. I've just moved into this house and started decorating and making it my own. I'm worried about the money sitting there and me being so scared to spend anything while also having money deducted from my monthly payments. Again, I'm absolutely ecstatic I've got this chunk of money for security but the fact that it's going to effect me whether I spend it or not is flapping me to the core.

What do I do? Has anyone had experience with coming into money while also being on benefits? Thank youuu from a very emotional and stressed mum.

Yes. Tragically after 14 years doing WB casework I know it's just not that straightforward. So I do get incredibly angry with phrases like "events are insurable" and when it starts off with the usual scrounger/lazy/feckless narrative, and much later the LT sick and disabled get thrown a few crumbs from the table of righteousness with the predictable 'I didn't mean them....or them....' I've dealt with too many cases of absolute distress in my profession (and as a spousal carer alongside it) to not fight against it.

Yep. This. Very similar experience here.

I was under the impression that there are thousands of new engineering graduates looking for work.
I would argue that an engineering degree is quite a commitment - rather than something not over burdensome.

Yes, they tar all UC claimants with the same brush. Always all "feckless" etc.
And yep, not everything is insurable. I ended up on UC because my DP cheated on me and buggered off to the EU.
AFAIK, there is no "cheating boyfriend" insurance.

Exactly. A life event you can neither predict, prepare for or, astoundingly (!) insure against. Hence why we have and should have a safety net.

…. I exclude disabled folk needing support from the above as as I’ve said previously, I believe we should be doing much more than what we’re currently doing as a society to support them. And by freeing up money spent on those actually capable of providing for themselves we’d have more funds to spend on those that can’t.

If you think that’s ever going to happen you’re very, very naive.

I have worked since I was 16, paid my way through all of it. I then met the wrong man and had a child with him, I was working 12 hour shifts while he was still living with us so I was not on universal credit and I was STILL on the bones of my arse with a baby I barely saw at home.

He then decided to be abusive, cheat and walk out. Leaving me unable to carry on doing my 12 hour shifts as I had no one to help me, so I dropped my hours. I then got made redundant after working there for 7 years and since I got my hours dropped, my redundancy pay got dropped. I turned to UC for help out of necessity. Found out I could of been claiming as soon as her dad walked out on me and struggled for nothing.

Did a training course and now I'm in another job...Still on universal credit top ups. How dare you diminish how hard people have fought, sacrificed and worked because it isn't the same thing that happened to you. I certainly haven't "sat back" and let people pay my way nor have I had anybody mollycoddle me, along with the thousands of other people who are entitled to UC top ups, including NHS staff may I add.

Not everyone has the qualifications to get a higher paid job, or ever will be able to achieve that goal. Doesn't make them any less willing or capable to work harder than anybody else. Your snobbery and lack of empathy are astounding.

Please do not justify yourself and explain yourself @Stressedmum6761 You do not owe people an explanation. Ignore the haters,

Yes, it boils my piss when you get people on here that claim to be net contributors like it is some moral high ground... when what they say shows the opposite.
Utter cunts that happen to earn a lot. What they do in their life beyond their earnings is what counts.
It is like a serial killer saying the murders were ok because they happened to believe in Jesus.

I know. It just enrages me that people can have that mentality about people they don't know, or their struggles.

I’ve noted a lot of your posts imply you have zero faith in people bettering themselves. Eg when PP suggesting retraining as a teacher, you shot it down saying not possible.

Why don’t you start to see people for what they could achieve rather than writing everyone off.

maybe then you’ll start to see how much better a society we could all live in if those that you’re currently writing off are encouraged and enabled to succeed actually do. Not only would it be better for them themselves but we’d be able to do more for those that truly need support rather than diluting our means as a result of having to provide for those that are capable of providing for themselves.

believe in people rather than writing everyone off

I think this post reveals the sentiment I refer to in my pp. you seem to write everyone off, I assume because for whatever reason the academic route didn’t work out for you.

noting, there’s the non-academic route open also….

How does it? That was simply where you STARTED backpeddaling! And as it started with "apologies" that was obvious, because that's exactly how most posters who come in starting the one size fits all attitude start their backing off- it's so common on here. How does that equate then to your telling me that most of the events such as illness I mentioned were insurable? No concoctions here, sorry.

You must have missed the point where I specifically noted putting in place safety nets thus making clear I’m not immune to needing them 🤔

I know. 😘 It's hard to not bite when you're being attacked by people who know NOTHING about you, and are judging you harshly, and are wrong about you.

Nope. Absolutely not 😂 she just understands that SOME PEOPLE dont have the means or the help needed to do so. Which I do not.

Xeno has not written anyone off, you have been writing benefit claimants off as "feckless and lazy". Behave yourself.

Send them my way please, I’ll have them

Sadly I’m not naive enough to ever believe it’ll happen: I realise there’s enough dross and poor attitudes engrained in this country that we’re unlikely to ever get there

No, I acknowledge that not everyone can better themselves. I did not shoot it down... I said that not everyone can do it. Some people can, but it is disingenuous to assume that everyone is capable of degrees.
And some people just don't want to be the top of whatever ladder they are on. I know a nurse who has been happy on Band 5 for years.
It is a MN thing that everyone should be on £100k.

So where's your empathy here? Last night? Very, very different tack.

Not until it was pointed out to you, you didn't. You came into this thread in a very, very different way.

Oooo 🤣 will love to see the backpedalling from this one.

I think you’ve made a typo or misunderstand the word empathy

Thanks. You get it.
I had a friend who is a TA. She worked with a couple of SEN kids in her class.
She also was diagnosed with MS, so as it has progressed, she has had to reduce her hours over the years. She claims UC and PIP so she can still work... as she really loves her job.