DECEMBER 5TH living together. Same Sex couples Get it right.

CIS

If you live together in a same sex relationship, as partners, then regardless of whether you work or not, from 5th December you are legally a couple with regards to state benefits.

cabrioman

but we are are partners, never have and never will be!!

Anthillmob

camper wrote:

is that from LA point of view? At DWP we have questionaire we send out, decison is based on those answers.

However its true that same sex couples are delighted to be treated as couples in law. Had many declarations this week, in spite of the reduction of benefits. Amazing.

we refer to fraud for LTAHW and they do an interview and then the questions get passed back to assessments and we make the decision. most get their benefit as a single person as theyve answered the questions that they dont socialise or look after each other when ill and their friends see them only as a lodger and landlady or whatever. we cant accuse them of anything even though half the time you know they are pulling the wool over our eyes. one even went through as the bloke was "renting" the womans sofa to sleep on. a lot of them also say that the other person involved is gay, we cant ask for proof of that!

one case fraud went round and asked why there were womens clothes everywhere and the bloke replied "im a transvestite". he got his benefit.

cabrioman

sorry, that should have said we are NOT partners.

Anthillmob

in that case you would be treated as a single person. if you want to claim housing a ctax benefit then you would receive your share (or part of) of the rent and the ctax.

the LA cannot go round accusing you of being gay just because you live with someone of the same sex. as long as youre honest and put your housemate on your claim form as the joint tenant or your lodger, or whatever he happens to be.

cabrioman

thanks for that, was getting worried.

Fran

While looking at the Inland Revenue - Tax Credits website I've come across a sentence which says:-

"My partner is the same sex. Do we complete a joint claim form?

We cannot accept joint claim if you and your partner are the same sex, you will need to make individual claims."

which is not what Ted's link to IR above says. On that one:-

"This means that if you are making a new claim for tax credits on or after 5th December 2005 and you are living with a civil partner, or with a same sex partner as if in a civil partnership, you must make a joint claim as a couple."

So for anyone browsing the IR website like I just have, they could miss the recent info and assume it doesn't affect them.

Justicia

Agreed Fran.

It appears that someone forgot to also alter that page to reflect the changes...