Should Boyfriend move in?

esoralle

I am separated from my husband, have been since July 2009

I work full time, and currently claim working tax credit and child tax credit and get £200 maintenance payments a month from my ex for our 4 year old daughter.

I am looking to have my boyfriend move in with me, but want to know the financial implications if he does. My ex is saying that if I have him move in, his payments to me will half and that he will move in with his girlfriend (who has 2 children) and therefore the money he pays for our daughter will quarter.

I believe I will only be entitled to minimal child tax credit and as my income is £25K and my boyfriends is £26K.

I just want to know where I stand, as although I don’t want to abuse the benefits system, I believe I may actually be better of staying as a single parent.

Also, my boyfriends stays at my house pretty much every night, is this classed by the tax credit / maintenance people as ‘living with me’, even if he is registered (driving license / bank et) and paying rent at another address.

ankspon

It is not your boyfriends duty to pay for your kids,and your ex moving in with his girlfriend will not affect the money he pays you as they are not his kids.He is scaremongering don't fall for it.

esoralle

I know it's not his duty, nor do I want him to, we just want to be togehter without getting into trouble with the scary horrid benefits type people

emsywoo123

esoralle wrote: »

I am separated from my husband, have been since July 2009

I work full time, and currently claim working tax credit and child tax credit and get £200 maintenance payments a month from my ex for our 4 year old daughter.

I am looking to have my boyfriend move in with me, but want to know the financial implications if he does. My ex is saying that if I have him move in, his payments to me will half and that he will move in with his girlfriend (who has 2 children) and therefore the money he pays for our daughter will quarter.

I believe I will only be entitled to minimal child tax credit and as my income is £25K and my boyfriends is £26K.

I just want to know where I stand, as although I don’t want to abuse the benefits system, I believe I may actually be better of staying as a single parent.

Also, my boyfriends stays at my house pretty much every night, is this classed by the tax credit / maintenance people as ‘living with me’, even if he is registered (driving license / bank et) and paying rent at another address.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

The bit underlined..........I suggest ducking around now.....

The bit in red.........living as husband and wife is a hugely complicated matter, not just where people are registered etc. Laundry/cooking/living as a family etc are all factors.

Oh and the maintenance bit......your BF moving in or not has no implication on what he pays.

HappyMJ

davidhwdn wrote: »

It is not your boyfriends duty to pay for your kids,and your ex moving in with his girlfriend will not affect the money he pays you as they are not his kids.He is scaremongering don't fall for it.

The ex moving into a household with children unfortunately does affect how much he is liable for in CSA payments even though they are not his children.

ankspon

esoralle wrote: »

I know it's not his duty, nor do I want him to, we just want to be togehter without getting into trouble with the scary horrid benefits type people

I'm on your side,i was simply saying your ex cannot reduce his maintenance if your boyfriend moves in or if your ex moves in with his partner.

ankspon

HappyMJ wrote: »

The ex moving into a household with children unfortunately does affect how much he is liable for in CSA payments even though they are not his children.

It did not affect my payments.

HappyMJ

emsywoo123 wrote: »

:eek: :eek: :eek:

The bit underlined..........I suggest ducking around now.....

The bit in red.........living as husband and wife is a hugely complicated matter, not just where people are registered etc. Laundry/cooking/living as a family etc are all factors.

Oh and the maintenance bit......your BF moving in or not has no implication on what he pays.

OP is still married to her husband she states they are separated. I'm sorry to correct you but if the boyfriend is registered elsewhere and stays virtually every night then it can stay that way. Although laundry, cooking and living as a family are taken into account this can easily be resolved by the boyfriend doing his washing back at his parents and keeping all his stuff there. Eating together is fine. Splitting bills equally is not.

My suggestion to OP is stay as you are until you get divorced then revisit the issue.

esoralle

Yes I am not yet divorced (can't afford it!)

HappyMJ

davidhwdn wrote: »

It did not affect my payments.

CSA 2 can be reduced by having kids in the NRP household. You may be on CSA 1???

Use this calculator to see how much it will be affected.

https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/calculate-maintenance.asp

HappyMJ

davidhwdn wrote: »

It is not your boyfriends duty to pay for your kids,and your ex moving in with his girlfriend will not affect the money he pays you as they are not his kids.He is scaremongering don't fall for it.

It may not be his duty to pay for them in that sense but he would be choosing to move into what must be at least a 2 bedroom home. The OP and the boyfriend earn fairly equal amounts so should split bills equally. Half the rent and bills on a 2 bedroom place are higher than half the bills on a 1 bedroom place so he will in effect be paying for her children by splitting the costs of raising that child. Or do you suggest the OP split the bills in 3 and make the child pay for her share?

I don't think it would the boyfriends responsibility morally or otherwise to pay for things such as childrens clothing and childcare that would be up to OP to use her maintenance for.