Live in Girlfriend has been made redundant - Entitled to any benefits?

jtownson

Hi,

My girlfriend moved in a year ago and has recently been made redundant. She is currently seeking work. She fully owns her own apartment and rents it out which gives her an income of £380 a month which she has been paying to me on a monthly basis during the past year as rent and to cover bills - she has a rent book.

Now she is not working I said she could keep the money and not pay me it.

At the moment we are paying full council tax. Are we entitled to anything other then unemployment benifit? I have tried to find out online and I am just present with loads of daunting forms!

As far as my income goes I am a higher rate tax payer.

Thanks

healy

jtownson wrote: »

Hi,

My girlfriend moved in a year ago and has recently been made redundant. She is currently seeking work. She fully owns her own apartment and rents it out which gives her an income of £380 a month which she has been paying to me on a monthly basis during the past year as rent and to cover bills - she has a rent book.

Now she is not working I said she could keep the money and not pay me it.

At the moment we are paying full council tax. Are we entitled to anything other then unemployment benifit? I have tried to find out online and I am just present with loads of daunting forms!

As far as my income goes I am a higher rate tax payer.

Thanks

No you will not be entitled to any other benefit.

She may be entitled to contribution based JSA if she has paid the required contributions in recent years. She would not be entitled to income based JSA.

burtons

You will have to keep her

madjay

burtons wrote: »

You will have to keep her

Sorry This is very true, my partner was told this by the benefits office last year when she was made redundant last year and we still got nothing when I broke my leg a few weeks later and was of work without pay for 10 weeks.

As you I am a higher rate tax payer. It seems to me that you work hard all your life to get some where and when you get knocked for six you get nothing. While others don't work and get everything.

Sixer

OP - regardless of the rent book, you and your girlfriend will be assessed as a single unit, with the exception of contribution-based JSA. CB JSA lasts for 6 months and is £65 p/w. After that period, any income-based benefits would be calculated on the basis of your combined income and assets. Since you're a higher rate taxpayer and she owns a property, your combined income and assets will lift you quite a way above any relevant benefits thresholds.

jtownson

Thanks for your replies

I didnt expect much but I am surprised that I can't at least go back to recieving a single persons discount on the council tax - if she was a student I would be counted as a single person.

madjay - I agree, I am very lucky to be earning what i do, I know that there are far far worst off people then myself and I appreciate that. But times are still hard for us and a little bit more help from the state would be better.

Loopy_Girl

What 'help from the state' would you expect your live in lifelong partner (or 'lodger' it would appear in your eyes since she has a rent book) to get?

If she has paid her stamp then she will get the 6 months (CB) JSA like everyone else - if not then this is when you would step in as a partner and take the financial and emotional load until she is back on her feet and able to pay her 'rent' again.

Quite why you would think you would be able to claim a single oerson discount is quite bemusing - you are not single, you are in a couple and there are no students.

terryw

As an aside to your question which has been answered, the rent position appears complicated. Your partner needs to declare the rent she receives (less allowable expenses) to the income tax people and pay any tax due at her rate of tax. You in turn need to declare the rent that you receive from her (less allowable expenses) and pay tax on this at the higher rate, although it is possible that this is covered by the rent-a-room scheme.

Or have I misunderstood?

Loopy_Girl

terryw wrote: »

As an aside to your question which has been answered, the rent position appears complicated. Your partner needs to declare the rent she receives (less allowable expenses) to the income tax people and pay any tax due at her rate of tax. You in turn need to declare the rent that you receive from her (less allowable expenses) and pay tax on this at the higher rate, although it is possible that this is covered by the rent-a-room scheme.

Or have I misunderstood?

And herein the rent will suddenly turn into 'housekeeping' and the rent book will get slid under the couch;)

jtownson

Loopy Girl - I see what you are saying, She does get JSA and i do support her anyway. I just feel that the council tax is a lot for one person to pay alone. If she lived alone and was unemployed her council tax would be taken care of.


terryw - Thats correct, she is keeping tabs of it all ready to complete her tax return. Her rent to me, comes under the rent a room scheme.

Loopy_Girl

But she's not living alone is she?

That's the point

She is not expected to live off £65pw therefore the state give her extra help...she has a partner, and one on a very good wage at that, to help her out.

How is she going to pay her mortgage on her house?