Help with UC and winning money

[stunner1901]

Good afternoon all

My friend has had a bet and is on a possible win of £30k and it has always been his dream to own and live on a canal boat

He is a full time carer for his mom and is currently receiving UC, housing benefit and carers allowance

In private rented property

If, and it is highly unlikely, his bet won and he bought himself a barge what would happen with his benefits?

I think they would say you should have kept the winnings and lived off it for x amount of years he thinks it shouldn't be that case as he would no longer be claiming housing benefit

Can anybody advise please

Thanks in advance

[echat11]

It might be an idea to ring the UC helpline, they'd be able to give you a definitive answer.

[stunner1901]

echat11

Don't want to do that just in case it won and alerted them to the possibility

Hopefully somebody here will know

thanks for reply

[jaguarsuk]

They would receive UC and carers allowance still because those circumstances haven't changed, but as they no longer rent a property they would lose the housing benefit.

The government cannot say the friend should have lived off the money for a year instead of claiming and have saved money through the decision of your friend as I'd imagine of the rest of the time they will be a carer their housing benefit would likely have amounted to more than £30K.

[stunner1901]

jaguarsuk

Thank you

i just thought they would say you are above the 16k threshold and by spending it you have "wasted" the money

thanks for reply

[stunner1901]

Is it not the same as inheriting money? if you exceed 16k then benefits stop i thought. if you waste the money surely they would say something?

[jaguarsuk]

I'd hardly say that buying somewhere to live that stops dependence on the state to fund housing is a waste.

Having done a little googling if the friend informed them they would lose housing benefit, which would be fine anyway and potentially UC affected as they are means tested. The only people who are going to be able to tell you for sure and what the impact will be are the DWP themselves.

[des8]

certainly under the old ESA rules use of money to purchase a property to live in was not considered deprivation of assets.

The guidance for UC is
H1796 People are not treated as having capital of which they have deprived themselves if
1. it reduces or pays a debt owed by the person or
2. they purchase goods and services and that expenditure was reasonable in the circumstances of that person’s case1.

One could argue that purchasing a place to live is reasonable

If you want some light reading the whole document is here: https://assets.publishing.service.go...0315/admh1.pdf

[jaguarsuk]

One could argue that purchasing a place to live is reasonable

Especially when that purchase would mean housing benefit ceases and saves the state money.