Are bills split 50/50 between 2 people?

IWannaGetOutOfThisPlace

Hi all,

just had my OR meeting today and it was confusing to say the least regarding the I/E part of the SOA.

Basically for the last few years i've not been able to contribute much to the household expenses (most of it paying off the debts) and in order to do so I have had to go BR. It was a struggle trying to explain to the OR that my partner has been supporting me for the past few years but when they saw the expenses they said I was supporting them!

If we take things like the bills etc, are the split 50/50 down the middle? My partner earns more than I do. As the house is my partners the OR said I couldn't contribute to the mortgage, that they would base it on if I was renting instead - this seemed a bit daft as surely that would cost me even more?

dalip

So many people get this wrong. ON an i&e you put your partners CONTRIBUTION to household bills not their full income. If your partner earns more than you then you would need to reflect that in his contribution. If the mortgage is in his name and you don't contribute to the said mortgage then the OR is quite right you need to put it down as renting a room. Not certain but i am sure if you do contribute to a mortgage then the OR may well have an interest in the property.

Has the OR asked for you to fill in another IPOQ?. If so post here and we can g over for you.D

LilyBart

Hello Iwanna,
Has your OR asked you to fill out more I+E forms, or are they calculating whether or not you will have an IPA on the basis of what you discussed in the meeting? If the OR is satisfied with the information he/she has had from you already, they'll toddle off and write a report recommending - or not - an IPA. After that, the way you and your partner divide the household bills is a personal matter. Renting isn't necessarily more expensive than a mortgage these days, and if the OR was using that as a guideline for calculating your expenditure, it may even work in your favour.
Lily
edit: crossed with Dalip