Housing Benefit - Can we claim please ?

Bogof_Babe

blueotter wrote: »

Thank you,perhaps you're right and in retrospect i could have worded it better but the fact is plenty of people aren't aware of the inequality of the sytem me included,until they need it.

However my partner has now applied for social housing so hopefully that will be an answer to our predicament.

It does read as if your partner has applied for social housing just for herself, so it's not surprising people jump to that conclusion.

blueotter

She's applied for social housing and we shall hopefully be accomodated and move in together. I will then pay the council rent and the benefit will reside with the council rather than a private Landlord.

terryw

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Applying for social housing and actually getting it are two different things. I would suggest your g/f doesn't hold her breath.

Also, if she does pretend to be a single mum (i.e. not in a relationship), you will both need to be very careful about staying overnight with eachother, or being seen out e.g. shopping together. It's considered fraudulent to claim benefits when you have contrived your circumstances to obscure the fact that you are a couple.

Wouldn't it be easier just to do what most reasonable, responsible people do - live together with your child and budget your lifestyle accordingly?

Oh dear. There is nothing whatsoever to suggest that the OP and girlfriend are colluding so that she appears to be a single mum. In any case, any single mum (or indeed anyone at all) is perfectly entitled to have a relationship. For benefit purposes, they must not live together as husband and wife. Staying overnight and doing shopping together is not living together as husband and wife......the main consideration is financial relationship. See loads and loads of other threads on this subject.

The OP is doing what most reasonable and respectable people do......trying to obtain reasonably priced dwelling to live with his child and the child's mother.

blueotter

Indeed and that's all we want to do,i hope that clarifies the matter and thank you once again.

Bogof_Babe

blueotter wrote: »

I gather from the answers that it is actually far more economically beneficial for us to actually live apart now.

If i move out of my private accommodation and into something a lot more affordable on my own my girlfriend will then be able to claim housing benefit for her private accomodation costs and as a single parent will no doubt be entitled to more than i can provide anyway.

Sorry, didn't realised we had moved on from here...

terryw

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Sorry, didn't realised we had moved on from here...

The quote from the OP was not something that he intended or intends to do. He was obviously giving an example of the inequalities and unfairness (and indeed in my opinion the sheer stupidity of) the welfare system.

And he is right. Many people prefer a partnership with the state rather than with a partner because of the financial incentives.

blueotter

correct,it was an exmple ,preceeded with an IF statement to make it clear..................as clear as mud by the looks of things.

zzzLazyDaisy

blueotter wrote: »

She's applied for social housing and we shall hopefully be accomodated and move in together. I will then pay the council rent and the benefit will reside with the council rather than a private Landlord.

You might be shocked at how long the waiting list is. My DIL waited 5 years for a council house after she split from my son, and she had three children.

DX2

terryw wrote: »

Oh dear. There is nothing whatsoever to suggest that the OP and girlfriend are colluding so that she appears to be a single mum. In any case, any single mum (or indeed anyone at all) is perfectly entitled to have a relationship. For benefit purposes, they must not live together as husband and wife. Staying overnight and doing shopping together is not living together as husband and wife......the main consideration is financial relationship. See loads and loads of other threads on this subject.

The OP is doing what most reasonable and respectable people do......trying to obtain reasonably priced dwelling to live with his child and the child's mother.

It does however contribute to the whole picture that the decision makers make

Macro_3

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

You might be shocked at how long the waiting list is. My DIL waited 5 years for a council house after she split from my son, and she had three children.

Absolutely, and given the high cost of private rentals in the area, it's probably likely that demand for social housing in the area is also very high. Add to that the fact that the couple would be considered adequately housed in the current flat - they have zero chance of getting social housing.

As an aside, in some ways I can understand the way that some people would happily live apart from their partner if it's financially beneficial - life on benefits is no picnic. What I can't fathom is why someone would choose to live apart from their child for the sake of money. I can honestly say I would rather have nothing.