JSA questions

ella86

Let's see what you're asking:

You get £100 a month from your mum.

Your partner owns the flat outright - and has rental income (I take it enough to cover utility/food bills).

You want to claim income-based JSA? I take it that it's not contribution-based.

Would you be declaring that you are effectively a lodger (having set up and presumably decorated a separate room), and would need to claim rental income, as the other lodger does.

I'm sorry but I don't see how this is 'abhorrent'. I live with my boyfriend. We are both recent graduates looking for jobs. I have zero income except for £100 a month from my mum. My boyfriend has £60 a week rental income from my housemate, and I pay my share of the bills plus £60 a week rent. The reason for having a separate bedroom even after we got together was that we both needed our space to study in the final year of our degrees and it's a flat with small bedrooms. I pay rent from my student loan which is running out now. You seem to be implying that I'm trying to cheat the system. I simply wanted to know whether I count as an official 'partner' in writing with someone I share no finances with. Technically I share as many finances with my other housemate as I do with my OH which is why I was asking what the situation is. Please don't take such an angry tone, as I said I'm not trying to cheat the system, I'm trying to avoid doing that which is why I'm seeking advice.

alwaysonthego_2

ella86 wrote: »

I'm sorry but I don't see how this is 'abhorrent'. I live with my boyfriend. We are both recent graduates looking for jobs. I have zero income except for £100 a month from my mum. My boyfriend has £60 a week rental income from my housemate, and I pay my share of the bills plus £60 a week rent. The reason for having a separate bedroom even after we got together was that we both needed our space to study in the final year of our degrees and it's a flat with small bedrooms. I pay rent from my student loan which is running out now. You seem to be implying that I'm trying to cheat the system. I simply wanted to know whether I count as an official 'partner' in writing with someone I share no finances with. Technically I share as many finances with my other housemate as I do with my OH which is why I was asking what the situation is. Please don't take such an angry tone, as I said I'm not trying to cheat the system, I'm trying to avoid doing that which is why I'm seeking advice.

Excuses, excuses, excuses!!!!

You are trying to cheat the system by pretending not to be together, end of!

ella86

!!!!!!, I ask a question and suddenly I get accused of being a cheat. As I explained, that's what I wanted to avoid.

Tibbs,The_Freebie_Hunter

You quote '!!!!!!' and say that I have an angry tone!!! Hmmm!!! Re-read what I wrote, I asked questions (and without swearing to boot)!

ella86

You asked questions then told me that my behaviour was abhorrent. Then I try and clarify what I meant and get told by another poster that I am making excuses for committing fraud.

I posted the same question on another forum and was given advice without people jumping to conclusions and assuming that I was willingly trying to commit fraud. I felt very upset at some of the postings on here which is why I was unhappy and I do apologise for getting angry.

Tibbs,The_Freebie_Hunter

ella86 wrote: »

You asked questions then told me that my behaviour was abhorrent. Then I try and clarify what I meant and get told by another poster that I am making excuses for committing fraud.

I posted the same question on another forum and was given advice without people jumping to conclusions and assuming that I was willingly trying to commit fraud. I felt very upset at some of the postings on here which is why I was unhappy and I do apologise for getting angry.

Well, as you can clearly see that I'm not one bit angry.

I'm going to draw the line, and this will be my last comment on this matter.

To quote myself:

"I might be wrong, but if you are thinking along that lines, then I would find this abhorrent."

I really don't see how anyone could misinterpret what I have said.

Please feel free to re-read and re-interpret.

mvengemvenge

ella86 wrote: »

You asked questions then told me that my behaviour was abhorrent. Then I try and clarify what I meant and get told by another poster that I am making excuses for committing fraud.

I posted the same question on another forum and was given advice without people jumping to conclusions and assuming that I was willingly trying to commit fraud. I felt very upset at some of the postings on here which is why I was unhappy and I do apologise for getting angry.

The thing is, ella, your own statements can't help but lead people to certain conclusions. You can word your situation as many different ways as you want (and people usually do, in the hope that they can make their situation look different), but it was you that stated you live with your boyfriend, not others.

You live with your partner. You are a couple. That is no different to husband and wife. The fact that your housing situation is a little more complicated doesn't mean the benefit rules shouldn't apply to you.

Your situation may have originally started differently, but now you have to accept that things are different.

toasterman

I was in a similar situation recently.
When I signed up for JSA, technically I was in a relationship with another member of my house.
However, we both pay separate rents, council tax, and split bills as anyone in a houseshare does.
She moved into the house and we started spending a lot of time together..we'd never met before she moved in, and it was a gradual thing us getting together, as I'm sure you'll understand.
After a period, I guess some would class us as a couple.

However, I've been unhappy, unsure I really wanted to continue it, and my normal pessimistic self assumed it would all end soon.
So when I started claiming JSA a few months ago, I said no.. that I was single.

I stand by that decision.
Just living in a shared house leads to all kinds of questions about other members of the house, what nationality they are, their date of birth, whether they pay you, and whether you pay them.
Explaining a shared-house is so overcomplicated you wouldn't believe.

I was right in my initial decision, as me and the housemate are no longer an item. Had I put her down, they'd have wanted all her finances, bank statements and all sorts - not that we ever shared.
I know for a fact she has more than £3,000 in savings due to some inheritance from the death of a relative. Should I have put her down as a partner, so they can poke about in her finances, then refuse my claim making her feel twice as bad?

Also, the benefits system is not worth £50 a week. It's £64 for JSA.
You can also claim housing benefit, council tax, free prescriptions and dental care.
I don't think anyone should "cheat" the system, but the forms do not in any sense allow for shared housing, casual relationships, or modern living.

tek-monkey

You rent a room you don't sleep in, but want benefits to pay for it? Nice idea! Got a mate living with his OH in a 1 bed flat, he works but she doesn't, if they do this they get a 2 bed for the same money. Maybe even less, if the social pay half. Every couple on benefits should do this, save living in doss holes.

ella86

I'm claiming JSA so I can afford to buy food and essentials and to survive. Not to run some scam. I am a job-seeker with no income, so how else am I supposed to eat? I said I was claiming JSA, not trying to claim hundreds in housing benefit. I don't understand why people on this forum seem convinced that I'm trying to run a scam. All I wanted to know was if there's a legal definition of 'partner', if the term 'partner' means shared finances, as opposed to being in a couple without sharing finances.

Tek-monkey, you say your friend works but his OH doesn't. This is not the same situation because neither me or my OH work. We are both jobseekers. Your friend is in a position to support his girlfriend, and they obviously share finances. My OH's rental income covers basics for him, it is not enough to support me as well.