Taking charity money with the intention of paying off a debt on behalf of a person

The questioner:
He says: I want a sum of money from a person, so charity money came to me. May I take it with the intention of paying off that person's debt?

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
He says: I want a sum of money for a person, so I was given charity money to distribute. May I take it with the intention of paying off the debt of that person?

The Shaykh:
No, that is not permissible. If you are poor, take it for your own need. If you are poor and among those eligible for zakah, take it for your own need. As for taking it as payment on behalf of the deceased, it does not count as payment on behalf of the deceased unless the donor intends it. If the donor intends that this is payment for the deceased and that he has a share of the zakah, it does not count as payment for the deceased from the zakah. Zakah is for the living, not for the dead. However, if someone wants to donate to the deceased and pay off his debt, that is fine. Yes.