Hi, my name is daddy920! Do we have to report everything we buy? — Scope | Disability forum
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Hi, my name is daddy920! Do we have to report everything we buy?

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daddy920
daddy920 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
edited June 2021 in Universal Credit (UC)
Hello all, hopefully I can get some advice on UC savings and expenditure. Do I have to ask specifically or as a general question?
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  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @daddy920 - & welcome to the community. If you would just like to ask your question, then if more detail is needed to help answer this, then others will ask.
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  • daddy920
    daddy920 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    Hi all, We had to go on UC as my wife has MS and was getting significantly worse. I also have health problems and trying to combine a job working shifts and looking after my wife was making my health worse. I finished work in March 2020. We reported the capital we had which was around £5000. Knowing we were going to be on a reduced income we used £4300 to pay off all of our debts. We received UC, my wife was retired anyway. She was on standard rate of pips and we have fought since then to get this to enhanced. I was then awarded daily pips and low rate mobility. Also got carers allowance which is deducted from UC anyway. I then got LCWRA. We received backdated payment for LCWRA but that paid off overpayment of carers with a plus of £700. We have always been careful with money and now my wife has won her tribunal with a backdated amount of around £1800. We are now close to going over £6000 but want to know what we can use the money for. I am hoping to get her a decent mobility scooter and perhaps an electric bike for me so I can get some exercise. I have been told I need to get exercise to stop my condition getting worse but struggle with a normal bike. Do we have to report everything we buy? can we not buy anything nice? reading advice pages on dreaded FB it says you have to tell them everything you spend money on. By the way I only have just over a year before I retire anyway.
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  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi again - Back payments for benefits are disregarded for 52 weeks, so you can spend it on whatever you wish in that time, tho I suggest you keep the receipts. Pleased to read your wife's PIP award increased with her tribunal. Oh, & please don't believe all you read on social media :)
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  • daddy920
    daddy920 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    Thank you, because we are careful and have paid all of out debts off we can afford some nice things or days out but feel it would be classed as deprivation of capital.
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  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Some info on deprivation of capital which will hopefully put your mind at rest: https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Deprivation-of-savings-and-other-capital-Universal-Credit
    It's as if your wife's back payment doesn't exist for a year, & would be disregarded as capital. As the link says, 'Deprivation of capital is when you knowingly reduce or transfer elsewhere your savings or other capital to get, or increase your award of Universal Credit. This may be before making a claim or during an existing claim.'
    This is obviously not the case, so please don't worry.
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  • daddy920
    daddy920 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    Thank you so much. we were worried as we have booked a premier inn for 2 nights £108 to see friends. Also a week self catering in UK £682. It's made us so paranoid of what we have to report. Other people have said you can't spend money like that.

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  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
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    When I  had to spend  money I brought a camper van booked a four week holiday brought a new tv and a new mobile and a t4 transporter and a motorbike gave them all the receipts and it was treated as capital spent 
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  • daddy920
    daddy920 Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    Thank you all, put my mind at ease.
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