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

scrotist

Was thinking of lodging €30 a week into my mother's account for groceries, treats, whatever. A lunch out on the weekend.

She's on disability and in her 60s.

Will she get in trouble in any way with social welfare if they find out about this?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058322016/my-mothers-on-disability-if-i-sent-her-30-a-week-for-groceries-will-she-get-in-trouble

If they do a review (they are reviewing all the means tested payments right now) then they will ask her to explain these weekly deposits of €30, and she may be penalized.

Their attitude is that she “needs” €220 disability allowance every week in order to live above the breadline.

If that “need” is being met by her family to the tune of €30 a week then that’s saving the Dept €30 so they will deduct that much from her allowance.

They will also say that it’s not fair to someone else on DA who hasn’t got a family member giving them €30.

If you can find some way of giving her the €30 that would avoid it going through any kind of banking including Revolut or Venmo. (they see everything)!

road_high

Just shows the importance of still using using cash

Be right back

Send her gift vouchers for whatever cafe/restaurant she likes?

Sleepy

If you can trust her to stick to the €30 a week you could always get a second card issued on your own Credit Card account in her name?

A pre-paid debit card could be a good solution here either... perhaps something like a Perx card that can be topped up?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351861#Comment_121351861

Indeed

iniscealtra

Voucher or buy her some groceries online and organise a delivery to her house.

Garibaldi?

Maybe she is picking up some groceries for you and you are reimbursing her? If she lives near you? Just a thought.

mickdw

If you use revolut, give her a card on the account. Stick a few quid in it to start and set up a 30 euro transfer weekly.

Banjo Carney

I was of the impression you are allowed to earn a certain amount while on Disability is that not so.

SVI40

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352137#Comment_121352137

Correct, you can. But, that is earned income, so gifting may be treated differently.

Banjo Carney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352166#Comment_121352166

Ok I didn't realise that. Doesn't make sense to me.

SVI40

Work is now regarded as part of rehabilitation. Thankfully the department realised it is in everyone's interest to allow a person on disability to earn some income, if they can. It is linked to how much your DA is, earn over X amount, and your DA will start to reduce.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352012#Comment_121352012

You need a PPSN to open a Revolut account. SW can see that there are accounts linked to your PPSN. They can’t see what is in the accounts, but they will ask you to send them a 3 month statement.

mickdw

He can just give her a card on his own account.

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352012#Comment_121352012

Open an account in your own name with any bank (it doesn't have to be revolut), and organise a weekly transfer from your main account. Give your mother a debit card on the account, which will remain in your name.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352454#Comment_121352454

Deleted

Dempo1

I'd personally get a gift card for the store of her choice and top up on a regular basis. @TooTired123 is correct, I was asked to explain €150 (in two lodgements) during my DA application, easily explained and reviews do take place.

mondeoman72

Can you stick 30 a week into her utility bills?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121352501#Comment_121352501

That’s the best idea Dempo. Gift card for Dunnes would be great.

Bridget Clarke

I’m in my late 60’s. I wish I had raised a kid who was so generous. My kids are still bleeding me dry, emotionally & financially. Well done, OP. You seem like a decent human.

BabysCoffee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058322016/my-mothers-on-disability-if-i-sent-her-30-a-week-for-groceries-will-she-get-in-trouble

Could you do some online Tesco shopping and get it delivered to her in place of the above?

jackboy

Don't use any bank accounts or they will chase you down for the money after she dies.

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121353037#Comment_121353037

There comes a time when you have to stand up for youself and say NO.

Shauna677

OP just give your mum grocery vouchers from Dunnes, Lidl or Aldi.

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058322016/my-mothers-on-disability-if-i-sent-her-30-a-week-for-groceries-will-she-get-in-trouble

The best thing you can give your mum is your time, hugs and love. 🙂

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121354987#Comment_121354987

That’s true, but you can’t eat time love and hugs, and you can’t pay for a bag of coal with time love and hugs……( well you can, but we won’t go into that….).

Doc07

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

That all may technically be true but I’ll bet anyone €100 that they would in their hole go after someone for €30 a week

Cash, say nothing!

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121355731#Comment_121355731

They absolutely would after she dies. They will look for her historical bank records, go through that and demand that her relatives refund the money. 30 Euro a week can build up over the years.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121355731#Comment_121355731

That's not the point, any lodgements into a Bank account can be questioned & lead to unnecessary Kerfuffles, I was asked to explain to separate lodgements, €70 & €80 during my DA application, which in total contained 57 pages. Of course €30 or small lodgements won't affect a DA payment but regular lodgements from a single source, may

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121355731#Comment_121355731

Don't be so sure!

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121355842#Comment_121355842

What legal obligation does anyone have for someone else's debts? They may as well chase up you or I. Any liability could be sought to be recovered from the estate of the deceased but I couldn't see it bring possible to look for a third party to pay someone's possible debts.

elperello

OP the obvious uncomplicated solution is to use cash.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121356118#Comment_121356118

Yes the estate, which would be the family.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121355731#Comment_121355731

I’ll take that bet.

Sonic the Shaghog

If you live near and call in regular, then cash, get cashback at a shop when you are doing your shopping if no atms near you anymore.

If you are living a bit away then go with the others suggestions, get a prepaid card and top it up once a week.

Not sure how a Dunnes or shop gift card works can you keep topping up the same card or not

My retired parents look after my kids and I used to send them €50/week for expenses, no profit just covering food/fuel/energy etc

Social came down on them so **** hard. They've neighbours who have gamed the system, for decades, and nothing. I try to make sure that them saving me €1500+ a month, on childcare, doesn't actually cost them money and they literally got dragged into a meeting to account for this "payment"

Cunts

wandererz

Just get a Revolut account if you don't have one already.

Then order one or two cards. The second for your mom to have.

Keep the account topped up and Bob's your uncle (... or Richard... or Dick.. depending)

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357276#Comment_121357276

Bad idea. Anything digital can ultimately be tracked. Down the road the executor of the will would have to declare that no such accounts exist, ie a lie which they could be prosecuted for. Keep it cash only or purchase the items and drop them in.

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357520#Comment_121357520

His card, his account.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357546#Comment_121357546

Yes, the risk would be low but the mother would be using the card. If there was cctv at a bank of her using it then they are done. That is unlikely but maybe in 5 years time it would not and the department could do something retrospective.

The department have got very harsh in the last few years. I know relatives of deceased getting many nasty threatening letters from the department telling them to pay back years of benefits.

The Decades long scammers all use cash only and are never questioned, that is a lesson for all.

blackbox

I don't know about the disability benefit angle, but if you are regularly giving money to your mother you could get tax relief on the amount at your highest rate by setting up a covenant.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357567#Comment_121357567

Would you ever come off it. She doesn’t have to go next or near a bank, she can just use the card itself to pay in the shop. Or are you going to try and tell us now that the DSP also have access to a nationwide network of CCTV at every supermarket checkout too??? 🙄

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121356118#Comment_121356118

What happens is, when someone dies their will goes into probate. Probate starts by finding out who is owed money out of this estate.

First place they check is Revenue. Did this person owe any tax? If so it has to come out of the estate.

Next up is HSE. Is the Fair Deal scheme owed any money? If so, out it comes.

SW. Was this person over paid by SW? If so, out it comes.

This is because if this person owed money to the Revenue/HSE/SW then the money has to go back to the tax payers, every last cent. The taxpayer has to be made whole.

They will even check that the undertaker was paid before whatever is left filters down to the beneficiaries of the will, who are often very upset that they are getting less then they thought they were going to get.

0ph0rce0

If they question it just say your ma is Albanian or Georgian. She'll get extra.

Still will never forgive the cnuts when my 78 year old mother got cancer and they took her medical card off her as soon as they found out.

Country would make you sick.

Donald Trump

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

Give the money as a loan.

Garibaldi?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359192#Comment_121359192

The best idea yet

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359261#Comment_121359261

So where’s the evidence of this loan being repaid?

Jeff2

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

That's crazy. I'd have thought that would be all good.

Over 20 years ago I regularly lodged €100 into my retired Dad's bank account.

I lodged a good few €1000s over the years and never even thought there could be repercussions because of it.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357741#Comment_121357741

They don't need access to CCTV, they request access to the shops loyalty cards. The Revenue have used shop loyalty card data to prove tax fraud in audits. There was a published case were a lad claimed he was never paid cash by his customers. They got him on the wife's weekly shop in Dunnes, always paid for with cash.