Income support and income

[Barmaid]

If someone is claiming income support (no partner and not working) and they then start to receive £200 per month for 9 months of the year, will this have any impact on their benefits?

[ummmm]

Is the £200 child maintenance?

[daffy654]

Yes, any extra income is taken into account when calculating benefit rates. The person must declare it or face prosecution for benefit fraud.

[Barmaid]

Not technically child maintenance but towards the costs of uniform and transport.

[jackthehat]

The Govt. have settled on a weekly figure upon which it deems it is possible for a person/family to exist.
*Any* additional income, except where specifically stated in the statute, ought to be brought to the attention of the Benefits Agency.

If the BA then decide that this additional income does impact on the 'allowance' they will make the necessary adjustment, but they need to be informed about it, in any case, as part of the obligations the recipient has to be scrupulous with their dealings with DWP in return for receiving any benefit.

[themas]

Barmaid

If these are voluntary payments then they are ignored - but I'm a bit concerned about the regularity of them, & the amount apparently being the same month after month.

You say the payments are not technically child maintenance. However, if they are for uniform & transport (to school?) costs for the child/ren then surely they are to help with the maintenance of the child/ren? - & child maintenance is ignored. However, the amounts seem quite high for just these two purposes - how many children & do they have a long distance (i.e. expensive journey) to school?

If you could post some more detail about the arrangement & the relationship between the giver & receiver I will try to make a more specific comment.

Incidentally, note that child maintenance does not have to be under a Court or CSA order for it to be ignored.