Gifts to the poor after Purim

I want to collect the gifts to the poor (one of the commandments of the holiday of Purim) for my cousin, who is in very dire financial straits. The problem is that I won’t be able to hand him the money on Purim. Is that a problem?

It's a very great mitzvah to help your relative who is in dire straits, and taking it upon yourself to provide for him is a most important commandment the whole year round.

The most preferrable way of performing the commandment of giving gifts to the poor on Purim is to give the money to the poor person on Purim itself, in a way that he’ll be able to use the money to buy himself food for the Purim meal. But in practice, the Jewish people is so meritorious, that the poor receive far more than what they need just for the Purim meal. The law is that you can collect money with explicit intention that that it will be handed over to the poor person after Purim. But the money should be acquired for the poor person (by a third party) on Purim itself. It’s fitting to let him now on Purim, how much was collected for him, so he’ll be able to buy himself food more freely, and he’ll eat his meal with a calmer and happier heart.

However, you should keep in mind, that if you’re asked whether the money will be handed over to the poor person on the same day, you’ll have to answer that you only make an acquisition for the poor person and let him know, how much was collected, but you don’t actually hand him the physical money till after Purim. If the donor feels that it’s preferable to give in a way that the actual money will be given over to the poor person on the day of Purim itself — he should do as he sees fit. (Maybe it’s possible to locate someone who lives not far from your relative and who’d agree to hand him the money on Purim, once you let him know exactly how much; then you would repay this person after Purim, or you could just transfer the money to his bank account.)  

Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, chapter 694