CAB Can I still claim for school meals?
My parents are retired and own their home. They live there with my brother.
Recently my dad had a health scare and they have been talking about gifting their home to me and my brother.
They hope that this will stop their home being used for care home fees. Are they right in thinking that would work as long as they don’t need to go into a care home in the next six years?
This is something we hear quite a lot.
However, if someone gives away an “asset” like their home, there is actually no time limit after which the local council can’t take that asset into account when assessing, or recovering, care home fees.
Getting rid of assets is known as ‘deprivation of capital’, and where a house has been gifted away to avoid paying care home fees, the law may allow a local council to recover and sell that property to cover costs.
The crucial thing here is the reason for gifting the property.
In some cases, where the motivation for gifting an asset is clearly not to avoid care home fees, the local council shouldn’t be able to take that asset into account.
This is a complex area and your parents may benefit from independent financial advice about their finances.
They can use the websites for unbiased.co.uk or VouchedFor to find local advisers.
It is worth knowing that a property would be ignored in a calculation for care home fees in some circumstances.
For example, where one of your parents remained at home, or if your brother is on disability benefits or gave up a home to look after your parents.
Speak to a bureau adviser for more information in light of your parents’ specific circumstances.
Some parents have been telling me that they are to get a £100 pandemic support payment because their children qualify for school meals.
My circumstances recently changed and I will get a Universal Credit payment this month. Have I missed out on this? I have one child at primary school, and one to start after the summer.
Most parents will receive their first of two £100 pandemic support payments before the school stops for summer if their school- age children were registered for school meals on May 30.
However, if you have a child that is eligible for free school meals before term ends - in your case because you are getting Universal Credit, and as long as you have employed earnings of less than £ 610 per month - then you can still receive this payment before the end of July.
There will be a further payment to parents later in the year if their child still qualifies for school meals on November 30.
As you have a child due to start school this autumn, and you are about to be on a qualifying benefit, you are likely to be eligible for a school-age payment.
Applications opened on June 1 for children born between March 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016.
This is a one off payment of £252 and can be applied for online or by contacting Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
A couple of years ago I went to court about an incident that happened at a local football match.
I was given a three year“banning order”, though I wasn’t convicted of anything.
I’ve not been in any bother since, and would like to get back to games when grounds open up again. What can I do?
As two thirds of the period of the ban has passed, someone like you who is subject to a football banning order can apply to court to have it terminated.
The court, in making its decision on terminating the ban, will have to consider your character, your conduct since the order was made, the nature of the offence or conduct you were thought to be involved with, and any other relevant circumstances.
You should discuss your chances of success with a criminal solicitor who has all the details of your case.