Disabled and moving in with working boyfriend

supersaverkerry

I am in a situation where I am thinking about moving in with my boyfriend but was wondering if anyone can help me work out what happens with my benefit.

This will still happen for us regardless of what benefit I will lose because we want to make a good do of things but up till now we go Dutch when we have a meal together once or twice a week as we only see each other weekends due to his work, so I havent had to think about finances being shared. I know I can't contribute as much as he can and it would be good to know what I can contribute when we move in together.

He works around 40-45 hours a week and brings home about 1300 a month, he is 21.

I am 24, disabled and get about 420 a month incapacity benefit, 150 income support , 370 dla and 260 housing allowance a month.

Will I lose everything when we move in together?

Thanks

welshmoneylover

supersaverkerry wrote: »

I am in a situation where I am thinking about moving in with my boyfriend but was wondering if anyone can help me work out what happens with my benefit.

This will still happen for us regardless of what benefit I will lose because we want to make a good do of things but up till now we go Dutch when we have a meal together once or twice a week as we only see each other weekends due to his work, so I havent had to think about finances being shared. I know I can't contribute as much as he can and it would be good to know what I can contribute when we move in together.

He works around 40-45 hours a week and brings home about 1300 a month, he is 21.

I am 24, disabled and get about 420 a month incapacity benefit, 150 income support , 370 dla and 260 housing allowance a month.

Will I lose everything when we move in together?

Thanks

And I thought romance was dead? :rotfl:

TrixieB

I know the DLA won't be affected as not means tested but not sure about IB...

Doubt you'd be eliglble for any HB/LHA, the IS would go I think I am right in saying.

Welshmoneylover - why laugh at this?

Mojisola

IB isn't means-tested but when you get moved over to ESA it may be different.

Lots of couples have different incomes. There have been lots of discussions on MSE about how to manage the finances when you move in. You have to work out what suits you both.

Some people make all income joint when they move in together and spend from a joint account. Others pay into a household account according to their relative incomes and keep the rest for individual spends. Some pay half of all the bills and one partner has more left to spend or save as they wish.

supersaverkerry

I'm not sure what the 'romance was dead' comment is all about, as I have already said we will do this regardless of how much benefit I lose, all I'm trying to do is work out what finances we will have available, I do use my dla to pay for care so it looks like I will have my IB to contribute to the rent and bills then which will leave me with no spare money but to me that is fine.

RAS

Perhaps you can put the situation into www.turn2us.org.uk and that will give you an idea.

Bear in mind that under 25, you cannot claim Working Tax Credit but can claim Local Housing Allowance.

BigAunty

When you move in, income related benefits like IS, CT and LHA are affected and will either substantially reduce or be zero because of your partner's salary.

DLA will not be affected.

I do not know the position on IB or its successor ESA but the Direct Gov website and the Turn2us calculator will give you pointers.

There is a budget planner on MSE and this will help you with producing a revised budget and identifying not just the loss of benefits you experience but the savings in household bills which tend to be significantly less in a shared place - food, phone/internet/tv, contents insurance, energy bills and so on.

Oldernotwiser

In the short term you'll only be £150 pcm worst off as you'll lose your IS. As has been mentioned, things may be different when you're migrated over to ESA.

skater_kat

you might lose the housing allowance payments as i assume you get this living in your own place now. if you move to a joint place you will probably not qualify for any help with rent anymore as a couple you have more money in the household.

Mojisola

supersaverkerry wrote: »

I'm not sure what the 'romance was dead' comment is all about, as I have already said we will do this regardless of how much benefit I lose, all I'm trying to do is work out what finances we will have available, I do use my dla to pay for care so it looks like I will have my IB to contribute to the rent and bills then which will leave me with no spare money but to me that is fine.

Really? Is that a sustainable position to take?

How are you going to buy clothes, presents, replace anything that breaks down, etc?

If you are going to be a "couple" rather than just two people sharing a house, you need to talk through the money side of the relationship. It's part of the mutual support that comes with a serious relationship.

thefishdude

i was in the reverse situation, i moved in with my disabled girlfriend the differened it made was that before i moved in her rent and council tax was payed for her as she can not work. but now i moved and my wage is taken into account so i pay the rent and council tax. none of her other benefits changed.