My mother's on disability. If I sent her €30 a week for groceries, will she get in trouble?

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359939#Comment_121359939

She would be using sons card in random supermarket. No loyalty info to find.

That said, I'm.sure there are fully legit ways to give the parent the money and it not to effect payments.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121360101#Comment_121360101

No, it can never be legit, it is an income regardless of where it comes from. So many get caught out with this so as I said before, follow the practices of the experienced experts, cash only.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359824#Comment_121359824

If you are on a means tested payment (non con pension, disability allowance, carers allowance, SWA, lone parent, Jobseeker’s Allowance) then you have shown that you have modest savings, and so little other income that you have a NEED for a weekly payment in order not to be living on the breadline.

If SW look at your bank accounts and see that there are regular sums of money going in from some other source, like a family member or a friend, then they could reasonably deduce that at least some of that NEED is being met elsewhere and thus, the state can withdraw some of the payment they were receiving.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357142#Comment_121357142

Why did this happen?

Was it DA they were on or State Pension?

Surely with the latter it's your own cash as long as you have the stamps

wandererz

Don't send her anything.

Just top up your Revolut account and get a second card in your name.

She will be doing shopping for you.

Get another loyalty card in your name as well.

Seriously, people making a big hoohaa about €120/month.

Alternatively, place the order online and get it delivered to her from Tesco/Supervalu/Dunnes

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121360618#Comment_121360618

There’s state pension contributory and then there’s state pension non contributory, which is means tested.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359158#Comment_121359158

Sorry to hear that, can you elaborate (without revealing too much personal info). You make it sound like the incidence of a cancer diagnosis resulted in the card being taken away??

sock.rocker*

This thread is argument A on why a cashless society is a bad idea.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121361514#Comment_121361514

Grand, my dad will have stamps for SPC so can't think of many issues of me doing what the OP is doing for him when he retires

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351828#Comment_121351828

Pure rubbish.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121360744#Comment_121360744

There’s obviously an issue here so cash is the only way to go. Paying weekly shopping bill is probably the worst thing to do as IF accounts are scrutinised she won’t have any evidence of expenditure on weekly food items - that will be a red flag for starters.

While I admire the OP in what they’re doing, there will be big bills to pay over the course of a year or two with any house or home- repairs, redecoration, new white goods etc

So certainly these type of purchases could be covered by the OP- if paying these anyway, then cash no 1- hidden away safely in the house, followed by restaurant vouchers or store vouchers - One4all can be a pain to use so I’d avoid those at all costs- but no, definitely don’t pay her weekly shop.

Other suggestions include paying for:

Clothes shoes make up toiletries hair cuts- these are all huge costs to someone on disability so again totally possible to pay for these items

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121361668#Comment_121361668

Oh, interesting. Ok I’m ready to learn. Go ahead there and tell me what actually happens in reality. Thanks in advance.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359122#Comment_121359122

I'm well aware but they can only try to recoup money from the estate of the deceased.

If the deceased was on a means tested benefit, they are not likely to have a sizeable estate, so there would be little to recoup.

The estate might go from little or nothing to nothing but revenue, social protection, whoever else..... cannot make a third party responsible for the deceased's debts.

You may not inherit anything (if there was anything to inherit in the first place) but thet cannot get anything more than the deceased had when they died.

1874

Regarding revolut, check the terms & Conditions, allowing someone else to use your card may be considered misuse and the cardholder may have their card and account withdrawn, may be unlikely to show up if the person using it is diligent and stays shtum and lives in the same approximate region as the physical cardholder, or the cardholder just doesnt really use the card or account at all. A second card would surely be a record stored? I didnt know it was possible or what reason it can be gotten (ie do you have to associate a name with it? which would be a stored record). Someone said you need a PPS to get a revolut card, I dont recal giving one but a quick google says it is needed now. It may be possible to set them up with the app, to tap for €30 amounts may be ok IF the cardholder is in the same approximate region.

If the card is being used away from where phone tap transactions are being made, that may highlight usage red flags and possible breach of Ts&Cs. As someone mentioned, could use a key tag with the adult childs loyalty card details. Thing is, people usually mess up. so Cash would be the best and saves any hassle, or better still, pay for items for them if they live nearby, maybe necessary if they are on DA? ie doing shopping for them.

And not to be blunt, but €30 for treats or lunch wont go far, nor would I think those are essentials, nice alright, not necessarily value for money, but if they are stuck that they need it, €30/week might better go towards Electric/heating, not being harsh, just practical and realistic, as someone else said,cash.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364201#Comment_121364201

Of course but it has an impact if a relative expects to get the beneficiaries home. They will either need to cough up the cash themselves or sell the home. For some people that could be very problematic, a problem easily avoided by sticking with cash.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364197#Comment_121364197

So a payment where income below €175 a week is disregarded in a means test & money from €175 to €375 is counted at 50% will end up being slashed because her son gave her a few quid?

It just won’t happen. You’re scaremongering without a shred of evidence to suggest what you’re saying is true.

My own mother has regularly received additional income (€30, €40, €50) from my grandparents and aunt and to this day the social has never asked a question. Her payment certainly wasn’t reduced by the amount given.

So unless you’ve actually got some evidence this is true, whether that be from the DEASP or similar then yes what you’ve said is absolute rubbish.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364781#Comment_121364781

It's not rubbish, those sources of income should have been declared. Loads of people get away with it for years or even until they die, then the department will go after the estate. If someone dies with an empty bank account and no assets then no problem but if a home is in play it's a different story.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364781#Comment_121364781

You don’t know what you’re talking about.

In the case of DA, any income FROM EMPLOYMENT up to €165 (where are you getting €175) is disregarded.

Thats income from employment. So you start working and you notify the Dept and send them a couple of payslips and the calculate your new rate of payment.

That’s treated totally seperate to the rest of the means test.

You are saying that everyone in this thread who says that they know someone who has had their means tested payment reviewed and been asked to explain deposits and withdrawals from their accounts is a liar?

Well heres screenshots from mygov.ie Kannon Victorious Cod but I have my doubts that you have the capacity to understand them. Let me know if you need it explaining to you.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359122#Comment_121359122

Probably best to do cash or declare as a gift.

I don't get your point though. Take a married couple then when one spouse dies is the other spouse chased for the deceased debts?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121365239#Comment_121365239

In the case of Fair Deal, the debt will only be called in when both spouses are deceased.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121365258#Comment_121365258

What about loans personal debt etc?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121365274#Comment_121365274

That’s probably a question for the Legal Discussion forum.

road_high

Give her the cash. It’s shocking really the way our digital (financial) footprint can be handed over to state bodies now. Individual privacy and liberty are at the lowest ebb I can recall in my lifetime (I’m touching 40). It’s not a good thing