Cash gift from lottery-win aunt could be liable for tax
My aunt won the lottery and has given me and other family members a huge amount each. My partner and I were going to use what we got as a deposit on the house we want, but someone told us we should put the money in trust for a few years and not touch it. Is there a reason we shouldn’t spend the money now?
Depending on how much money your aunt won, and the value of any other assets she has, it may be worth keeping aside a proportion of the money she has given you. This is because the gift you have received from your aunt may be subject to inheritance tax if she was to pass away in the seven years after giving you this money. (Technically the gift you have received is currently a Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET)). You would become liable for the inheritance tax on the gift you had received, which might be difficult to pay back if you had invested all of it in your new home.
Inheritance tax is generally paid at 40 per cent on estates above a certain value (£325,000 or £475, 000 if property is left to the children of the person who has died children), but there are other factors which can affect the what you might have to pay back.
I had made an application for Personal Independence Payment months ago, and was due to have a home visit for the medical assessment. I’ve now been told that this is to happen over the phone in a couple of weeks’time. I am not great on the phone as I get very anxious. What can I do?
If a telephone assessment is really not appropriate for you because of your medical conditions, it should be possible to contact the DWP to have your assessment postponed until it can be carried out in person. At present it is not clear when face-toface assessments will be able to start up again, so this may mean a very long delay for any award (though it would be backdated).
You do have the option of asking for a friend or relative to be added into the call with the medical assessor to help.
This should prevent the situation which sometimes occurs where a claimant becomes too anxious to focus on the questions and just tries to get through the assessment as quickly as possible.
People can end up agreeing that they are able to do things that, in truth, are not possible for someone with their ill health
Let us know if you need further information about what will happen at an assessment or in challenging a decision if you disagree with the decision you get afterwards.
People should always get advice on whether to challenge a decision as success rates at appeal are high.
I’ve been shielding for the past three months. I’ve just heard Scotland is moving into Phase Two what does this mean for me? Can I meet up with my family?
The First Minister has confirmed that Scotland is moving into Phase Two, this means that people who are shielding are now able to leave their homes for exercise and to meet with one other household as long as this is outdoors and physical distancing still takes place. You and other people who have been shielding are also now able to take part in non-contact outdoor activities such as fishing, golfing and hiking.
There will be no limit on how often you can leave your house or for how long.
The gift you have received from your aunt may be subject to inheritance tax if she was to pass away within seven years