When being interviewed by a council official about a possible wrong claim for council tax benefit, I was being told very firmly about declaring every last thing that might be construed as income. So, I asked, tongue in cheek, does the fact that the village policeman gave me a cucumber last week and that I have not declared it, count as an offence? Yes, I was told, good are classed as notional money and a notional value must be ascribed to them to check if that add up to an amount of such significance that it would affect your claim for benefit. I have now devised a form which lists anything that might have a notional value and I am lisiting these once a week and sending this form to the council for them to give these items a notional value which is acceptable to them, and then retuurn the form to me. I can then be sure I am not overclaiming benefit. I have as yet to get one of these forms back - maybe they dont know how much a Policemans cucumber is worth?

LOL nice one!

Hmm, I think they're totally wrong.

The Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006

SCHEDULE 4

Sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings

....

 

24. —(1) Any income in kind, except where regulation 30(11)(b) (provision of support under section 95 or 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act in the calculation of income other than earnings) applies.

 

(2) The reference in sub-paragraph (1) to "income in kind" does not include a payment to a third party made in respect of the claimant which is used by the third party to provide benefits in kind to the claimant.

Interesting - I am not an assylum seeker but this is actually part of an appeal which has been going on for months and the council reckons they can screw me down on these things because the tribunal hs asked them for further evidence of how they come to their original decision and they dont really have any.

To me this sounds Bananas.

(erm.....I think 89p per kilo)