Living on benefits

[iglu]

A couple with two kids (relatives of ours) live in a 5 acre farm with two horses. They are both unemployed and they run out of money (savings). He was a City broker, they are not farmers, she just wanted horses. They have not worked for 7 years. Their savings run out several months ago.

While on benefits, they got a grant to replace the boiler . They got a grant to insulate the 6 bedroom house, 5 reception rooms. They get benefits for themselves, kids and the horses.

Can you be on benefits and still live in a mansion? Can horses be on benefits too? for how long? Does anyone know?

It was too sensitive to ask them directly.

I don't know about the house and boiler, but horses on benefits? If that's true, then my sister has 2 dogs, 5 cats and a couple of budgies that could do with a few quid!

[Jules]

There is no way in hell that they would get benefits for their horses lol

Originally Posted by Jules

There is no way in hell that they would get benefits for their horses lol

I wouldn't put anything past this government jules!

[iglu]

They did get hand outs for the horses: for example, they mentioned 40 quid per horse shoe replaced. My guess they might classify as farmers, although they weren't...

Shouldn't be forced to sell up the land and the mansion?

Makes you wonder doesn't it how people get by these days, they both might be better of not working, they'll have no Council tax to pay, no perscriptions to pay, free school meals, free school uniforms, free milk, mortage interest paid for by the state. I bet they are better off not working.

[Hugh]

Don't think they should get "benefits" for the horses, but not so sure about selling the house and land - where do you stop?

3 bed semi?
2 bed semi?
1 bed flat?

I don't believe assets (car/house/etc) are actually counted when benefits are granted (could be wrong, though - I know assets are counted when aged people go into care homes).

[Vlad_Dracul]

Originally Posted by iglu

A couple with two kids (relatives of ours) live in a 5 acre farm with two horses. They are both unemployed and they run out of money (savings). He was a City broker, they are not farmers, she just wanted horses. They have not worked for 7 years. Their savings run out several months ago.

While on benefits, they got a grant to replace the boiler . They got a grant to insulate the 6 bedroom house, 5 reception rooms. They get benefits for themselves, kids and the horses.

Can you be on benefits and still live in a mansion? Can horses be on benefits too? for how long? Does anyone know?

It was too sensitive to ask them directly.

Ah..you will be referring to our backward Governments' Warm Front scheme...see here..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...me/DG_10018661

For anyone else, go buy your own heating system..

[webcrawler2050]

Well yes you can to be honest.

Its a con - you just gotta know how to work the system, it's not that hard.

I expect they are on Income Support??

Anywho - I would also expect that the social are paying the interest on their mortgage, if not then they are paying most of their rent and all of their poll tax.

You can get many "grants" for help, such as insulation grants and grants to help you buy the things you need, like bedding etc.

However, I expect as well they have been paying the short fall with their savings, which has now ran out and they will struggle like hell they will get no more than £60 a week each - I take it they have no long term sickness or disabilities?? They have children - so they are probably Child Tax Credit and child benefit as well.

Personall they must be working on the side like cash in hand jobs! If you like!

[iglu]

Originally Posted by Vlad_Dracul

Ah..you will be referring to our backward Governments' Warm Front scheme...see here..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...me/DG_10018661

For anyone else, go buy your own heating system..

Spot on, they got 3500 to replace their oil heating boiler.

My mother in law tells me, that the benefit office authorized an emergency fund to replace the 2 horses' shoes at a cost 320 pounds, as the veterinarian recommended, until the case is reviewed formally .

And they run 2 Land Rovers, they have too, the road to the farm is worn out (poor souls have no money to fix it) they need 4x4 cars...

The lady on benefits appeared in "Notting Hill" as an accessory.

[webcrawler2050]

Originally Posted by iglu

Spot on, they got 3500 to replace their oil heating boiler.

My mother in law tells me, that the benefit office authorized an emergency fund to replace the 2 horses' shoes at a cost 320 pounds, as the veterinarian recommended, until the case is reviewed formally .

And they run 2 Land Rovers, they have too, the road to the farm is worn out (poor souls have no money to fix it) they need 4x4 cars...

The lady on benefits appeared in "Notting Hill" as an accessory.

haha they should be reported to the benefit office as cheats!

Working for cach in hand then?!

The horses could have been sorted out by the PDSA rather than actually paid for by benefits

[Halcyon]

Surely they would have been made to sell the horses and things that they don't need before being given money ?
It seems a very strange situation !

[r1ch]

£320 to replace the shoes on 2 horses?!? My wife has a horse and she's never had to pay more than £60 for a full set of four brand new shoes including trimming, shaping and hot-shoeing. It sounds like they're really trying to scam the system if they're trying to claim money like that on the grounds of animal welfare.

[bigsinky]

Income Support is a means tested benefit. motgages are capped. if saving are gone then IS is a catch all benefit to ensure that the least well off are not disadvantaged. if mortgage payments are more than the cap they have up to a year to selll the house and get something smaller. any money they make in the sale will be disregarded as capital for a certain period of time. they would not get a grant for shoeing horses the social security system does not allow for pets or animals. they might have used some of the money they got for the boiler to do this but a decision maker in a jobs and benefit office would laugh their head off asking for money to shoe horses, i certainly wouldn't have allowed it. they will only have qualified for mortage payments after 28 weeks and things like payment protection plans are all taken into account.