Living separately?

gemma1979

What it is to cut a long story short I live with my partner but he is schizophrenic and I am finding it VERY difficult to cope with him. I have lived with him for 6 years now and I never get a break from him and he is driving me mad.
I am contemplating ending it or at least I cant live with him in the same household.
If he moved out into his own place how many nights a week is it that they are allowed to stay before it is classed as they living with you I know when you are on benefits as a single person your bf/gf can stay overnight so many nights a week (but obviously not all the time or then you are in effect living together) without it effecting your single benefits (like before you are classed as cohabiting in which case you have to make a joint claim) How many nights is it they are allowed to stay? Im just thinking I could try living apart from him rather than abandoning him completely and see how that goes as a bf/gf not cohabitee because i seriously cant take any more of him on a 24/7 basis its too much

Indie_Kid

The DWP look at a lot more than how many nights you're together. (such as bills and bank accounts in joint names)

gemma1979

Well none of these would be in joint names as we would be living separately ?

gemma1979

What I mean is when you are a single person and first meet someone you live at different addresses date for a bit and then move in or whatever well the dating part where you ARE living separately living your own lives own money own bills own food own everything except dating? Staying over perhaps once/twice week? I know plenty of people who have bf/gf who dont live together. I dont know if this is what im doing yet i might end it completely i just wanted to know my options

dmg24

gemma1979 wrote: »

What I mean is when you are a single person and first meet someone you live at different addresses date for a bit and then move in or whatever well the dating part where you ARE living separately living your own lives own money own bills own food own everything except dating? Staying over perhaps once/twice week? I know plenty of people who have bf/gf who dont live together. I dont know if this is what im doing yet i might end it completely i just wanted to know my options

But the fact is that you have not just met!

gemma1979

Yes but that is irrelevant: if we are legitimately living apart then we are legitimately living apart - the fact that you have previously been with someone/known someone is irrelevant. I rang the DWP and council for some advice: they informed me that as long as we were going to be genuinely living apart in different households (as opposed to say him getting a flat and not staying there but staying here) this is all that matters.

gemma1979

Just had a look on a few websites to try and explain what I mean heres a link to one:

http://www.advicenow.org.uk/living-together/money/readers-questions-what-counts-as-living-together-html,547,FP.html

Mr_Falling_Star

I remeber talking to visiting officers years ago about living together rules, and although there is guidance, its more of a judgement call by them. According to one the acid test was do you keep your food separate?

C_Mababejive

I think you should be more concerned about this relationship than on finances.
My advice,FWIW,is to end the relationship and either live alone or find someone else more suitable.

gemma1979

Yes I believe it all depends on whether on the facts you are a member of separate households or as one (and yes this includes shopping/cooking/eating together at mealtimes as a family as one of many factors). I believe there is a case decided by the court that gives guidance on how decision makers are to make their decisions can't remember the case name offhand

Hannah_10

I was always told the answer was 3 nights a week, if you're together 4 nights a week then you're living together. Looking at other posts this might not be the whole story, but it's certainly the case as I understand it.