OK to take the money?

Hello sarahc,

Well done for helping your friend as you do! Your question is really beyond the scope of this forum, but I am happy to give you a few thoughts to consider.

In my opinion, morally you are entitled to be paid for work which you do, and clearly your personality and experience mean that your friend judges you to be qualified for the job. Legally your friend is entitled to employ whom ever she wishes. Money which she receives from the DWP can be used in any (legal) way she sees fit.

With the best will in world it can however change the nature of the relationship. You are no longer doing what you do as favour as a friend, but as someone who has an obligation to perform certain tasks. Whilst I appreciate your financial position, I would urge you to consider if that is a jump you wish to make.

You do not mention the nature of your possible payment. Is that at the end of the week she will slip you a few ten-pound notes or is there going to be a formal agreement of employment (aka a contract, even if you don’t use that word).

If it is going to be anything more than her slipping you a little money then she should be considering the fact that she should pay you at least minimum wage, holiday pay, probably sick pay and she may need to take out additional insurance. If you use your car to drive to her house, you will need to have insurance for business use.

The government always has the right to ask questions about your finances, but they very rarely do. Merely starting a new job is, in my experience, unlikely to trigger questions.

Finally, you could consider applying for carer’s allowance. This would be paid directly to you, potentially at no cost to your friend. Although this will depend on what benefits she is currently receiving – so please do get independent advice first. An advantage of receiving carer’s is that not only do you get a small payment, but you also get your stamp paid.

Hope this helps
Catherine

Hi sarahc

You can find your local Welfare Rights Organisation to help you with advice by clicking on the link below and putting in your post code, it will then come up with a MAP with a list of agencies.

advicelocal.uk

Gary