DWP confusing me again :(

moochie

hello everyone, hoping someone can unconfuse me!

me and my boyfriend both receive income support separately as we are disabled. We have been offered a house to live in (unsellable at the moment and they are worried about it being an empty property) by his grandparents rent free.

So last week we rung up and were told two different things, one advisor said we had to fill in change of address forms, close his claim and put him on my claim, didnt say how to do this though, then the other said nothing about change of address forms and closing his claim, but said we have to fill in an A1 form (i think).

So we received the forms today and its for a completely new claim - we dont want to make a new claim, we want to add him onto mine!! So we rang up today to query which address to put on the form as we are both currently living separate but will be moving in together in the next two or so weeks, he said put the address we will be moving to. Is this correct? To me, this means we dont have to inform them of a change in address separately, and they (as opposed to us) will close our (as opposed to just my bfs) separate claims down (he didnt understand what we were getting at when we queried this with him) and start with a brand new claim, which isn't what we were told originally and isn't what we want.... the last thing we want is to end up with a claim at one address as a couple and two separate claims at our respective current addresses, and being long term ill, we dont want to have to start with the sicknotes again! Will the dwp really do it all properly or will they simply process it as a new claim and cause loads of problems for us in the upcoming weeks? Can anyone help?

sorry for the ramble, im just really tired, ill and confused and the form has really been the last straw for me today

Leanne

[Deleted User]

this is just my take on this,but i would have thought it would be a new claim as a couple effective on the day you move in together,obviously from that date you will be treated as a couple where as now you arent

annies_mum

Hi Moochie, sorry i can't be of much help, but i can tell you that i've just had a change of circumstances for IS and they sent me a new claim form, not letter with it or anything. I rang the benefit delivery office and said i didn't want to start a new claim just change my existing one. the guy there said he wasn't really sure what i needed to do but fill it in and return it anyway!!! most helpful

ALIBOBSY

As soon as they enter either yours or you BF nino the current IS claim will pop up so they shouldn't be able to give you 2 claims at the same time.

ali x

NASA_2

You wont be able to have two claims running at the one time as only one claim can exist on the system at any one time. I would wait until you have moved in together and then complete the relevant forms. As long as you have told them on time you have fulfilled your part of the bargain.

They can offset any arrears of the couple rate against payments made on the single claims.

tcr_3

Agree. Complete the form when you move in together at your new home.

They'll then close your partner's claim & add him onto your existing claim at your new address. Even though the form might say "new claim", it's really a change on an existing claim, so don't be put off by that.

They tend to use new claim forms when there's a major change happening ... and your new partner, new home is counted as a major change to your circumstances.