What do people on here spend their money on?

apple85

(First off apologies that this isn’t in the benefits topic but I really interested to hear what others on here in a similar situation spend their money on……and think it’s acceptable to spend money on - rather than the more serious stuff which I’m in the process of seeking outside advice for)

I’m in the process of having my yearly panic about what I spend money on and savings (basically the below topic)

https://huutimoney.com/what-can-i-buy-that-is-not-deprivation-of-capital/

now I don’t know about others but it’s very grey on what it’s okay to spend money on if you get a means tested benefit

for example I know a second hand car (or lower price end car?) is okay but a Ferrari is a no no but the gov sites use jewellery as a no no but surely that’s referring to an expensive piece that is bought as an investment rather than a cheaper piece you’re going to wear all the time. (Not that I wear or buy jewelry)

The way the gov put it is luxuries are a no no on means tested benefits but then further down say taking a holiday (which in my personal moral code is a no no if you receive benefits) with means tested money is okay. Also I’ve never heard of people getting reported for buying cigarettes or alcohol (I personally don’t smoke or drink) and surely bookies like bet fair would lose half their trade if people on uc or similar stopped having flutter.

I personally find the whole thing so confusing and every 6 months or so I have a crisis of conscious - does anyone else feel like this?

I’d be really interested to hear what ‘acceptable luxuries’ or ‘essentials that may appear to be luxuries but actually aren’t’

- I know you can spend money on things that may improve the quality of life but it’s such a grey area (also I tend to invest in better quality items that cost more but tend to last longer and will be cheaper in the long run - for example imo my tv (which is technically a luxury but 99% of people have access to one so is it now an ‘essential’) needs to last a minimum or 5 years before even thinking about a replacement.

Would people on this thread be willing to share what they spend money on in terms of their hobbies, does anyone collect anything and do they ever treat themselves? 

surfygoose

I like collecting hot wheels cars at the moment but only until the right number to fit on my display shelf then I’d best stop because of space! I like buying Tonies to go on my Toniebox.
I don’t think there’s any rules about what you spend your money on except if you have loads of money and purposely get rid of it to get back on benefits or to not pay for your care. But I think that’s just if you are over the savings limits and that you shouldn’t be doing it on purpose.
I’ve always been on the means tested benefits and always paid contribution from that to my care, and as long as I paid my bill, no one has ever said that I shouldn’t buy what I want out of my money leftover.
It’s definitely ok to go on holiday. I’ve been away with my parents most years to a caravan park or to a cottage. We’ve been to Devon before and Cornwall. Even in the care homes I’ve lived in they took us on holiday so it can’t be against any rules. My new home I’m moving to soon told me the residents all enjoy going to Butlins with the staff.
I think it is fine to do whatever is right for you as long as you aren’t telling any lies to the benefits people about how much savings you have then I think you are fine.

poppy123456

It's not a grey area at all. What you spend your money on is entirely your decision, not DWPs or anyone elses. Your benefits money is classed as income for the period it's paid for. It doesn't become capital until the end of that period.

Savings of less than £6,000 is completely ignored so again, you can spend it on anything you want to. If you want to spend it on cars, jewellery, other luxury items, holidays, you can do exactly that.

The deprivation of capital rules apply to those that have savings of more than the lower amount or higher amount. For example, if you have more than £16,000 in savings/capital then you will be excluded from all means tested benefits. If you then go out and buy the most expensive vehicle, you go on the most expensive holiday then yes they may ask questions. If you give away your money then this is deprivation of capital and you'll still be classed as having that money.

I spend my money on exactly what i want to. I'm going on holiday in Sept for 2 weeks abroad. Next week i'm having a tattoo.. I love perfume, body shop, yankee candles, lush. I have grandchildren and love nothing better than spoiling them. I use a vape so i buy what i need for that. I love spending time in my garden so have bought various plants, seeds, compost etc.  I also save some each month but i have less than £6,000 so i do not need to tell them. Providing it remains below this then i never need to tell them.

Grinchy

I am on benefits, i don't go out much these days, i like to buy blurays for my collection, and the odd star wars item for my room, i don't feel guilty about it, i'm not on megabucks, as long as the bills are paid and we are ok i feel its fine to buy whatever we like, we went away for a weeks hols recently to a caravan park, that was great but expensive, nothing wrong with it

OverlyAnxious

I was brought up with the idea that people should only have what they've worked for...  In simple terms, more reward for more work.

Great idea in principle, motivates a 'normal' person to achieve their best within education & work.

But created a lot of guilt for myself and I'm sure others are in the same situation.  Realistically I knew I'd never be able to manage full time work.  (Although I was always hoping not to live long enough for that to be an issue!).

I do still feel very guilty about receiving benefits.  Put it off for as long as I could as I knew I'd be unlikely to ever come off them once I'd started them.  Tried a few different self-employment opportunities after a failed part time job and a couple of failed work experience jobs.  Frustrating for me is that I could actually do the work, but I couldn't manage the social aspect, food & drink or the pressure to complete things within a short timescale.

I now receive more income than I can use - but am trapped in unsuitable accommodation.  If I could move somewhere more suitable, I would not have as much disposable income as I do now as it would be spent on things to improve my quality of life.  But for now I am forced to spend some of my income on stuff that I don't really need.  It does cause me anxiety as I'm never really sure how much of a grey area some of the items are.  They're mostly collectable items, with a future value (not necessarily increased value), but ultimately it's one persons word against another with such a grey area around legitimate spend and deprivation of capital.

If I do ever reach a more suitable situation, I probably would spend some of the money on days out (shows, museums, etc) and possibly a local holiday somewhere.  Of course I'll feel uncomfortable and guilty about it, but that's the way I was brought up.  I don't ever see me having 'work' income, so that's the only option if I want to do those things.

I will say that I try not to judge anyone else for spending (or anything else for that matter!).  But I just can't stop judging myself in that way unfortunately.  It's something I'm trying to improve over time.

MW123

Hello apple85

When you go through the contributions of fellow members in this discussion, I believe you will find their responses helpful. It will lead you to the realisation that they are not engaging in extravagant purchases but rather striving to maximise what they have. 

To the best of my knowledge, there are no laws that prohibit individuals from using their benefit money for small indulgences, saving for a well-deserved holiday (it's important to distinguish between a holiday and indulging in a luxurious getaway), or setting aside funds for unexpected expenses or emergencies. 

Dealing with annual panic attacks and a crisis of conscience every six months regarding the justification of your spending habits must be distressing. Personally, I only receive the PIP lower rate daily living allowance as a benefit. I don't feel guilty about receiving this benefit, nor do I feel the need to justify how I spend it to anyone.

apple85

@Biblioklept

ive been trying think about the best way to word an answer so apologies if I offend anyone (we are all raised different ways, under different circumstances and different life experiences which all shape how we individually see and view things)

with most things in life there is black and there is white and in majority of times there’s the grey for everything in between (sometimes infinite shades of grey) - basically judging what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is rarely straightforward.

ironically in my opinion the ‘black’ and ‘white’ ends of claimants I believe shouldn’t be on the system but for totally different reasons

- on one end there are those who work full time (or part time but are a full time parent or disabled and still working several hours……..I’m sure there are several more example) that shouldn’t have to claim means tested benefits such as uc, housing benefit, etc… because they should of been paid a fair living wage in the first place (it’s the states failure that these people need to claim benefits to begin with) - these people have more than earned a holiday and furthermore shouldn’t have to deal with the £6-£16k savings limit of mean tested benefits in the first place (this group of people is the biggest argument towards a universal basic income or a universal basic top up)

- on the other end there are those people who are responsible with unfairly painting the common stereotype that everyone on benefits is a grifter, lazy and liars - those who choose benefits as a lifestyle choices and in the worst cases will lie about their health (illness/disability), work status and family status in order to play the system and get a higher benefit (I will say there are significantly less people in this bracket than the press and politicians make there out to be, but they exist and further more have made it harder for those with legit disabilities and health conditions to be successful in a benefit claim (especially concerning ‘invisible’ conditions which can be easy to fake/hard to prove) - do those who take from society and never give anything back to society deserve a holiday? - to that I ask a holiday from doing what!


there are a significant percentage of claimants who fall under the 1st bullet point and a smaller number the second - but the majority (I’m not saying if it’s a small or large majority as I just don’t know) are in the grey and I think should use their own personal judgement on whether they should take a holiday or not.

for me I think the following questions are key:

- what are you taking a holiday from?
- what would you get out of a holiday (the justification)?

for me I don’t believe I’ve earned the right to a holiday and it’s especially insensitive in this cost of living crisis and towards those working full time and barely surviving - the irony is that I would personally give a large donation to the food banks over going on holiday but a large donation would be more likely viewed by the dwp as a deprivation of capital than a bloody holiday!

also what I need is a break from my over active and over thinking brain more than anything (think you’ve all figured out by now that my biggest enemy is myself.) Going on holiday would just bring me anxiety and guilt and would be a waste. For me a holiday would probably be getting high on laughing gas or something (I am joking, never taken recreational drugs and don’t plan to start) a break from my own headspace.

But I understand that a holiday is escapism and a chance to recharge for many and if a holiday does provide you with a break from daily worries all the power to you


(though I’d have questions if you were on means benefits and went on holiday to a luxury private island!!)

apple85

Okay I have another question:

How aware are people to the initial £6k savings limit when they spending (or saving) money?






when I was younger I had a scare when overdrawing money from my bank account so I’ve been ultra careful to never get close to that again.

Also a few years back I accidentally went over the £6k limit by next to nothing, notified the dwp, they said thanks for being honest then proceeded to ask for bank statements every month for the next year and I had about £3 taken off my benefit weekly for the next year (I was only over the £6k by £50 for a fortnight)…..needless to say I’ve been very aware of the initial £6k limit ever since then

the other reason I’m very aware is because £6k would cover a good few months of cut to the bone living costs if I was to fail a reassessment and had to go to appeal and would basically buy time to figure stuff out. I believe it’s the responsible thing but it’s still a grey area (is basic budgeting a deprivation of capital)

I keep an ongoing list of things I need or want under the subtopics

- essentials

- ‘luxuries’ that basically 99% have 

- items that would improve standard of living

- items that would help improve state of mind/mental health (for me that includes things that help distract myself from my mind self destructing)

- Items that may help me learn a new skill that may help down the line (it’s always at the back of my mind that the dwp may down the line force 95% of disabilities into work whether they well enough or not or regardless if it’s suitable (which may or may not be happening 2029 with the govt plan of the retired, sick and disabled fixing the economy) and if I am going to be forced to walk the plank before my health allows I don’t want to fall in the direction of circling and even though I still may drown the more skills I’ve picked up the higher probability I’ll have to tread water or even swim. Does that make sense - basically a hobby potentially becoming a career path adapted to personal circumstances given time.

- luxuries that don’t fit into any of the above


I’ve usually got a good few things written down at a time but I budget so I don’t drain my bank account all at once and am aware of the best time to buy certain things (eg….buying winter clothes in the summer when there’s discounts, delaying something you know got a good chance of being on sale Black Friday)

As I said before I’m am seeking out some legal advice as even though I think I’m being sensible and just budgeting to an ocd level others may have a differing opinion. But I don’t think it’s a clear cut black or white issue.

apple85

 OverlyAnxious

i can relate to the guilt aspect

poppy123456

apple85 said:

for me I think the following questions are key:

- what are you taking a holiday from?
- what would you get out of a holiday (the justification)?

A holiday from everyday life. I don't need to justify to anyone why i'm going on holiday. I have just as much right to one as anyone else, whether they work or not. I'm also in the process of looking for next years holiday.

vikingqueen

       I'm with Poppy on holidays. It's just getting away from everyday life. I've just come back from 4 weeks in Turkey which cost less than some pay for a week in Spain and now I've got my eye on September flights.
       I don't feel one iota of guilt about spending my money on holidays. Before I became disabled I worked for 45 years with only a handful of days off so I'm making up for it now.
       My bills are paid, my house is my own and I won't justify to anyone what I spend my money on. 

poppy123456

vikingqueen said:

       I'm with Poppy on holidays. It's just getting away from everyday life. I've just come back from 4 weeks in Turkey which cost less than some pay for a week in Spain and now I've got my eye on September flights.
     

I hope you had a lovely time? I've been to Turkey a few times over the years and it's lovely. It can get extremely hot though! We went in September the last time (2017 i think) and it reached 49 degrees!

Where are you hoping to go to in September?

vikingqueen

     Turkey again Poppy, we stay at a friends apartments and it costs next to nothing. We have been going to the same place for 12 years, since my son got married there. It's very central and we can catch a bus to almost anywhere so it's ideal. 
     We were there in 2017 and I remember it being like stepping out into a blast furnace it was that hot...lesson learnt, never go in July 
      We always enjoy going, but a lot of people were moaning things were too expensive. Their rate of inflation is round about 45 percent so it isn't the fault of the Turkish, but there are restaurants and shops that try to pull a fast one. I find speaking to them in their own language stops them in their tracks 

apple85

Oh goodness, I’ve put my foot in it and offended haven’t I!

I grew up in a family that barely ever went on holiday. It wasn’t because they couldn’t afford it but they wanted to put money aside for the future and to settle the mortgage early. (Sadly those in charge of the country have made the home ownership/mortgage a really bad idea right now)

 Holidays were an unnecessary luxury for them and guess I’ve adopted that school of thought. But I know that’s not the norm.

i admire anyone who doesn’t give a toss what others think and live their lives how they want to

i shouldn’t care what strangers think but I do and that’s on me

vikingqueen

   Ah @apple85 you certainly haven't offended me. I was the same growing up we had nothing. I worked hard so I could give my children things I never had.
 I brought them up on my own so money was tight but I always made sure we had a holiday even if it was only a few days somewhere local. 
  
  

poppy123456

You haven’t offended me either. Times were also difficult when I was growing up and never had a holiday. 

I’ve been single since my youngest was very small and times were exceptionally hard. They’ve all grown up and so don’t have that to worry about. 

One of the things I do love is my annual holiday. The pandemic put a stop to that so this is my first holiday since 2019. 

apple85

The pandemic did kind of change what a holiday actually represents didn’t it

pre pandemic it was a luxury (but a reasonable one as the majority do take at least one vacation a year) but I now think a holiday in a way represents freedom (not being imprisoned in one’s home) and perhaps it still can’t be classed as an essential but it’s probably much more than just a luxury now - does that make sense?

Going back to a question I asked earlier, how aware are people of the initial £6k limit?
because (and I may of misunderstood some comments) many of you suggest you should spend the money you receive any way you want but do seem aware of the initial threshold (and don’t want to go over it if they can help it) - one person could argue that’s good responsible budgeting by keeping close but not going over, another could debate whether that’s deprivation of capital - for me it’s a grey area and I ping pong between the 2 definitions all the time.
But how do you guys view this potential predicament?

Has there anything that you’ve ever purchased that you’ve wrestled with yourself in terms of consciousness in terms of something potentially being too much of a luxury or too expensive?

I will say being in the uk we do get s***wed a bit with our rrps and some luxuries it’s questionable if they can even be classed as luxuries anymore
(for example TV’s are technically a luxury but as 95-99% of people have one is it anymore?……….I mean a 90” probably still is (but may not be in 20 years time) and a 4K 40” screen would of certainly been an extravagant 15 years back but in 2023 a conservative choice? 

Smart mobile phones and computers are kind of the same, a major luxury 20 years ago - but today mobiles are kind of vital to how todays society is run and in terms of computers, even the dwp require you to have one to apply for certain benefits, write up a cv, look for job listings and basic computer skills are almost a must in this country these day. Unless where you live has a huge amount of free to use computers then it’s almost an essential nowadays?
of course I could be talking out of my backside and many of you would consider the above to be bigger luxuries than say a holiday)

but I am starting to wonder if I’ve been too hard on myself for too long (I am seeking advice on this)

OverlyAnxious

apple85 said:

Going back to a question I asked earlier, how aware are people of the initial £6k limit?
because (and I may of misunderstood some comments) many of you suggest you should spend the money you receive any way you want but do seem aware of the initial threshold (and don’t want to go over it if they can help it) - one person could argue that’s good responsible budgeting by keeping close but not going over, another could debate whether that’s deprivation of capital - for me it’s a grey area and I ping pong between the 2 definitions all the time.
But how do you guys view this potential predicament?

Has there anything that you’ve ever purchased that you’ve wrestled with yourself in terms of consciousness in terms of something potentially being too much of a luxury or too expensive?

I wasn't aware when I first applied.  Told them honestly that I had just over £6k (mostly from a recent inheritance).  Have lost a pound a week, or whatever it is, ever since.  Wasn't worth the hassle of trying to update them when the savings had dropped below.  (I can't use phones so contacting ESA is not easy - and I certainly didn't want to set that precedent for sending statements every time it changed by a couple of hundred).

Now that I do know, I just try to keep below the £6k - purely down to the hassle of contacting them.  I'm really not fussed about losing an extra pound or two each week if they made the system easily accessible and immediately updateable online.  That probably is technically deprivation of capital, but as I keep saying, it's one persons word against another as there are no specifical rules on this.

I wrestle with myself any time I buy anything.  I can talk myself out of everything if I wait long enough.  So I've had to start buying on impulse without thinking about it too much!

I really think you're overthinking all this.  The 'best' scenario to be in is to remain well below the £6k, then you don't have the stress of constantly checking accounts and feeling pressured into spending money by the balance shown.

As seen on here, one persons necessity is another persons luxury.  I recently spent £300 on a new laptop (previous one was 10 years old and beyond repair).  I use a laptop every day.  It is really my only form of communication as I struggle to type on a phone touchscreen and can't speak at all now.  However, I have elderly relatives that have never used the internet, let alone a laptop...  To them it would be seen as an unnecessary luxury.  To me it is an absolute necessity, I can't even get food delivered without it...

poppy123456

apple85 said:

Going back to a question I asked earlier, how aware are people of the initial £6k limit?
because (and I may of misunderstood some comments) many of you suggest you should spend the money you receive any way you want but do seem aware of the initial threshold (and don’t want to go over it if they can help it) - one person could argue that’s good responsible budgeting by keeping close but not going over, another could debate whether that’s deprivation of capital - for me it’s a grey area and I ping pong between the 2 definitions all the time.
But how do you guys view this potential predicament?

I've always been aware of the savings limit. Never had savings anywhere near that £6k limit so i have nothing to worry about. If they did get anywhere near that limit then i would just buy things to stop me getting to that limit.

You are really overthinking all of this. If your savings remain under £6k then you can spend them how you wish, with no questions asked.

I always say to myself "you pay for what you get" i won't buy cheap, it's just not worth it because it never lasts as long.

apple85

 EffinMuppet

i don’t view you as an imposter at all

You have a disability/health condition like almost everyone else on this forum but for whatever reason don’t claim any benefits

 (I hope the reason why you’ve chosen not to isn’t because you believe you don’t ‘deserve’ extra help or see it as the ‘easy’ option - everyone who claims some sort of disability benefit is not easy, and highly stressful (so in reality not as attractive as it looks to those who view everyone on benefits as ‘put your own word here’) - when I was younger I so badly wanted to ‘play fair’ and I saw any advantages as a form of ‘cheating’……
.it took me several years to figure out that I was never going be on a level playing field compared to some of my peers as they don’t a disability and therefore don’t face a number of barriers and obstacles that we do…….the playing field was never fair to begin with!)

i totally understand where you’re coming from - I’ve met a lot of autistic people that have a very strong sense of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’

But I think you may be a little hard on yourself (and you certainly don’t sound like a ‘waster’ to me), I’d probably class your cats as emotional support/service animal rather than a luxury (let’s be frank, our non human companions probably save the nhs billions in mental health services imo)

There are people in this country that grew up wanting for nothing, are handed things on a plate, get a job based on who they know rather than if they are the best qualified candidate, then get all the tax breaks that only the rich seem to have access to (don’t quote me on that one). Granted there are a few that go out of their way to test themselves on a more level playing fields but the majority don’t think twice about any advantage given nor feel guilty.

I guess don’t feel bad if help is offered or is available and pay it forward if opportunity arises - does that sound like a good motto?

Strawberry1

@poppy123456 , excuse me for interrupting.  I just wanted to say your an amazing help on lots of things on the forum.  I look up too you . Hope it was OK too say . Take care 🙂