What is the definition of Living as a Couple?

kathryn_1

Hi
Apparently they have no set criteria on what constitutes being classed as living together.You have to advise them of your situation and they will then assess it.

I was told that even if someone stays over one night a week on a regular basis it could be classed as living with someone because it would be no different from a husband working away from home for six days and coming back for one night a week!

A friend of mine is on benefits and someone reported her as living with someone anonymously. She got called into the jobcentre and was asked alot of very personal questions. She has her partner staying over a couple of nights a week which she has told them about now and they seemed to be fine with that. That was a couple of weeks ago and she hasn't heard anything back from them as yet!

Oldernotwiser

longster70 wrote: »

Bit of a bummer really! I want to rent this place out - have been trying for 6 months, but the deficit between what I would get in rent and pay on mortgage is that great that it would be difficult financially. Added to the fact that my partner is overly "proud" as she wont let me contribute toward the upkeep of her kids and insists she would have to pay half of the costs!

Surely you'll be better off having most of the mortgage covered by rent, rather than having to pay it all yourself? You'll also save paying the council tax and utilities.

longster70

That would be true if I didnt then have to find over £300 a month petrol costs etc for commuting. I guess at this rate we will have to continue to live apart!!!!

suelees1

There are a number of issues they consider based on six signposts. There is nothing in the regs to say how many nights a 'partner' can stay. Here's the guidance about HB but it also relates to other benefits.


http://http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/claims-processing/operational-manuals/hbgm/annex/c1annxa.pdf

If you can't open it perhaps if you cut and paste into your browser it will work

da_ra_sa

Hi
Yes I too have recently fallen foul of the living together/staying over confusion,I am a single mum with a long term boyfriend who stays over, I was called in to the office and basically told to either end the relationship or let him move in, simply because there are no no hard and fast rules, The lady I spoke to was quite frank about the fact that the lack of real guidelines meant that, if the fraud team investigate they would stop my benefit and they would find something they weren't happy about! As SUZIQ said when you are on benefits your life really is not your own!

DARASA

suelees1

They really don't have this power and they can't make decisions themselves. They should not be telling you to either finish the relationship or claim as a couple and if they do then an official complaint should be made

It would go to a Decision Maker on the relevant section who will then look at what evidence they have.

Mr_Falling_Star

As a ex Jobcentre Plus and Pension Service visiting officer I can confirm that there are no set number of nights somebody can stay at their girl/boyfriends. What they look at is your relationship and how other people see you. I agree with most of the posters here you will have a hard time if you are staying there 7 nights a week

What I used to look at is how much of your stuff is in the partners house, are any bills in her house in your name, what is the status of your house, eg is it a fully functioning lived in house and your relationships history. The killer punch for me used to be how are meals organised and is your food kept separate from hers? Sleeping arrangements do not really come into it as plenty of couples sleep apart.

longster70

Mr Falling Star

Thanks for that - is fairly evident that I wont be able to stay there 7 nights a week from what you and others have said. The house though will be completely in here name, as will all the bills. How will the meals be organised? Well no doubt we will share a few at the weekends, but keeping food separate? Not going to be any need if am not there that often as I wont really have any there.

What a mess! lol

Damzel_In_Distress

Well i claim IS and TC and to my knowledge you are allowed NO MORE than 3 overnight stays.And there are to be no belongings of a partner in the house at all left there,and the 3 overnights have to be seperate nights and not all in consession.
The simple thing to do to check is to ring the DWP and ask,but that is what i was told and my friend sticks to these rules like there written in stone with her boyfriend,because they do randomly do checks sometimes

Mr_Falling_Star

There are no set rules about how many nights you can sleep over for I.S and there never has been, at least since I joined the DWP 17 years ago (and left four weeks since)