do childrens savings count

[nametaken]

If you have to claim benefits, and you have no savings yourself but you have childrens savings accounts with £6k each in, do you have to declare this money as your money.

Just a hypothetical question.

yes I'm primar carer and they live with me = but it's all informal iykwim.

How utterly awful would it be of me to delay finding the details out and telling them for another month (feel awful just suggesting it ).

I had the rest of my huge gas/electric bill to pay start of next month, as well as the TC's overpayment (not huge - but big enough) to repay as well (from 2007/2008). I can't really afford for them to reduce my benefits at all, but if the're going to do it this month really isn't good at all

actually scrap that last post - if I've been overpaid then I'm getting money I'm not entitled to and need to sort it asap.

I don't think it being informal will matter, it is informal for most people. As long as you are both singing from the same hymn sheet wrt their care then that should be enough.

Don't do anything until you have all the information and advice you can get your hands on (and that may well take you past your critical month anyway). The last thing you need is someone deciding to hold back your money whilst they look into it because they don't know what else to do (which seems to happen too much for my liking). If you go to them with all the relevant information and an understanding of how it should be handled/affect your benefits then you are more likely to keep the whole thing controled and painless.

It does sound like it shouldn't be a problem if it is all tied up properly and you cannot benefit from it in any way.