Universal Credit claim review - PLEASE HELP!

[Mumof3gome]

I just want to start this message with saying - please no judgement..

So just for a bit of background I'm a 30 year old female, full time carer to my son and my grandmother. I have 3 children 1 boy aged 12, 2 girls aged 10 & 2. I live with my all my children and my partner.

We have a joint universal credit claim, I also receive High Rate DLA for my son and carers allowance. My partner works full time.

I have been helping out a family friend for around 2 years, just popping in when I'm nearby and doing some little household chores/ironing/helping with washing/picking up food etc for them, during this time I didn't receive any money from the family friend at all. But 6 months ago I passed my driving test and he insisted on sending me some money weekly for petrol/spend on the kids/get yourself something nice. I think the reason he wanted to start sending me some money is because I'm also doing his washing and drying and picking it up and taking it back so he's aware that is quite a bit to do without payment - I never ever asked for money I just wanted to help this family friend.

Now the problem is - UC have just asked for 4 months of banks statements from me and my partner for a claim review. I sent them all obviously, and I was speaking to a friend that also had a review and she has said that the money he sends me weekly (anywhere from £30-£60 never any more than that) is going to be seen as regular income 😭😭😭

I'm now absolutely petrified as I just didn't consider this to be a "job" or income, it's more a favour and a out the kindness of my heart type thing! I really don't know what to do but I can't eat, I can't sleep. I'm so scared 😭!!!

If anybody has ANY advice whatsoever on what the outcome of this is going to be or what I am going to say or do I'd be so grateful 😩

Thank you for reading xx

Giving a friend petrol money to take you shopping is NOT a job. I've had this confirmed completely so I don't have to worry about that at all. It is just whether UC are going to accept my reasonings. As for your other question about hours the £60 covers. There is nothing specifically set like that he decided he wanted to start giving me money because before I passed my test I would pop in as and when I could and sometimes grabbed the bus/train to his. But now I drive he wanted to contribute towards petrol and obviously because of the washing. We don't have an official agreement, he is always always home so I go round whenever I get time in the week, sometimes I stop for a coffee put his dishes away and do washing up and have a chat and I'm not there very long. Then sometimes he will need more help like sorting out a wifi issue or he needs help contacting somebody about an issue within the home. But every week I do his washing once and drop it back once it's dried and every week I take him shopping. The only issue here is that he's paying it into my bank. I've been looking after my nan for 5 years, she has NEVER paid me into the bank but she ALWAYS slips me the odd £10 note here and there because of petrol (I take her to all her doctors/hospital appointments) I always say no but she insists. Would this be different if he was a family member? Who knows.

And yes it could be seen as social purposes, if you have your friend a lift shopping every week because she didn't drive and she paid you petrol for doing so would you be declaring it as income and getting business insurance? No

Ok op I’ll leave you to jt
But I think you need to get your story straight before this call
as this thread has revealed it to be a little… sketchy

No he's not local he lives around 40-45 minutes away by car. Even longer when I used to get the train He used to live 10 minutes down the road but he sold his house and got a flat once his wife passed away.

It was about 4 weeks I think

It was a while ago and my memory it not great with Timings .

There's nothing sketchy about it at all, that's your assumption only 😂.

He is a life long family friend who I have known my entire life and have always been close to, him and his daughter are considered family to us. If you were able to help somebody you care about would you not help them? Remember I have been helping him for a long time with not a single penny given to me at ALL. So tell me exactly what it is you find "sketchy"?

How did you used to get to him before you passed your driving test?

Thank you, hopefully I'll hear back from them soon so I can get this over and done with! X

Train/bus - if you read my other replies properly you would have seen I said that already. Occasionally we'd go with my partner but that would only be to see him and take him out for dinner no washing or house help. I don't really understand some of the context of your questions, it's like you're trying to catch me out yourself😂. I have literally said exactly what's going on here and asked a thread for advice. If you're just one of those ones then don't bother replying because other than being quite intrusive you haven't really offered much else.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. £60 a week for a bit of washing does seem quite a lot but you've explained you travel some distance and take him shopping as well. he sounds a bit vulnerable and would likely have to pay for some care if you weren't doing it. His daughter is aware and he has capacity. I would just explain the situation to UC. Loads of people give monetary gifts to family and friends for help received.

Yeah the money really is mostly for petrol and the washing as a whole. Like I explained above the only time he started sending me money was when I passed and he was aware of petrol costs, and also with now doing his washing once a week. I completely agree with you, he is vulnerable in a way - not because he isn't capable but just because he is very lonely, I don't help him for money I help him because I care about him. But in all honesty the money really does help with petrol, because I technically would be out of pocket if I hadn't of eventually accepted it. Yes I agree with you completely! When I was in hospital for 3 weeks with my son, I paid my friend petrol of £30 a week for those 3 weeks to take my daughter to school and pick her up and drop her home, it doesn't mean it's her job or income it's a gift from me to her she didn't ask for it I insisted.

Honestly i think it's a bit naive to think someone 'gifting' you money every single week isn't going to look like for eg, a cleaning job or similar. Has your 'friend' literally transferred you money every single week, and not missed any? How is it any different to a cleaning/ironing job. You help him out for presumably 3-4 hours with laundry/small household tasks, he pays you.

Odd that he is so reliant on you
but sells up his house that was 10 minutes from you by public transport
to buy somewhere a 45 minute car journey from you

one would think he’d choose somewhere closer to the person he appears to rely on quite considerably

I never said he was "gifting" me money. This was a term used by other posters. I have said exactly what he sends me the money for. Out of the last 5 months 1 week there have only been 4 weeks where he hasn't sent me some sort of money. If I was cleaning or using this as reliable income I would be taking cash not bank payments. He isn't paying me for helping him out with the household stuff, again if you read all of the above you would see I have been helping him for a very long time and didn't receive a penny for that stuff. It was only when I passed my test and started driving that he started to send money for petrol and then more once I had to pick his washing up and bring it back to mine to wash and dry and return.

Odd that you care so much 😂. Would you expect somebody to move to somewhere they didn't really want to live just to stay close to somebody that was willing to travel. I think maybe you're just not as kind hearted as I am, I think maybe you've never had somebody that needed your help on a regular basis. He's moved back to where he grew up as a child and that is completely his choice. He eventually would need a carer as he gets older and less capable and they are everywhere. And even when that day comes I will still travel to go and help him and ensure he is being looked after properly. Maybe one day someone you love will be in this situation and then you'll reflect on this conversation and understand. Until then, I think you should possibly try and warm your heart a little bit. Not everything in the world is "sketchy" sometimes people actually do care.

Good luck OP!

Maybe one day someone you love will be in this situation and then you'll reflect on this conversation and understand.

and maybe I won’t expect >£250 a month standing order from them in to my account 😆

Why op cant just admit she has a cash in hand cleaning job is a mystery🤷‍♀️

Brace yourself!

I don't know any of you, if I had a cash in hand cleaning job it would be cash in hand and I wouldn't be getting it paid into my bank 😂. I also wouldn't be lying about it on here, I would simply say "I have a cash in hand cleaning job I haven't declared" what would be the point in this whole thread if it was really as simple as that 🙈

I don't expect anything - I never have, it's his choice to pay me. I'll make sure I update you personally once I've had my review and let you know the outcome seeing as you care so much 😊

Guaranteed you won’t be back

Presumably you furnished him with your bank details in order for the >£250 standing order to be set up.

Id say there was a whiff of “expectation” in passing over your bank details 😂

He's had them for years😂. He sends my children birthday money every year. I won't be responding to you anymore because you're an extremely immature human being that is clearly very bitter about something in their life.

But you’ll be back to update? You won’t