Want to move in with partner but scared I'll lose housing benefit

tillyabo

Hello there, I would be grateful for some advice on moving in with my partner. We both live in London.

I am a single mum to a little girl aged 1 1/2 years and am currently on housing benefit and income support (looking for part time work). I have a partner these days and we want to move in together and get married hopefully next year, but we are worried we won't be able to afford to live together and we want to do it properly (read: all legally!).

He is also potentially in line for a council flat after having queued for years (he doesn't earn much, about £20k a year atm, and currently lives rent-free with a friend) but it is a one bedroom flat he is in line for - if he told them he wants to move in with his girlfriend / future wife who is on benefits, will he have any chance of getting a two bedroom flat - or if not, if we move in with him, will we eventually be able to upgrade to a two bedroom flat? Do I need to live in the same borough as him for this or does it make no difference at all, can he not "upgrade"?
I will get in the queue for one as well as I genuinely do not know how I will be able to afford rent with the flat prices going up and benefits going down and no part time jobs available, but I know queues are very long

However, it may still be years before he gets a flat, if ever (we don't know anything more yet). I would also be grateful for advice on what happens

1) if we get married and move in together - is there any difference compared to just living together unmarried?

2) if we move in together, what percentage of his wages will go on rent / how much housing benefit am I likely to lose? I have looked at the entitled.co.uk website but it appars to assume we already live together, I can't find a way of checking what happens if we do move in together to compare benefits.

3) Can we be married and live apart - how would this affect my benefits and rights?

Very grateful for any advice on this. I just want to live with the man I love without him having to lose most of his meagre earnings on rent as I am currently unable to contribute.

HappyMJ

1) No.

2) 65% on income in excess of the personal allowance which is £111.45 for a couple plus £64.99 for each child plus £17.40 for the family plus £10 earnings disregard plus £17.10 additional earnings disregard if you get working tax credits (working more than 30 hours). Figures are weekly.

Also 20% goes towards council tax.

3) Very unlikely.

Dognobs

And they say money can't buy love!!!

karenx

You will lose your income support, you will have to close your tax credits claim and claim as a couple.
You will also lose most of your housing benefit and have to claim as a couple and his wages will be taken into account

mildred1978

tillyabo wrote: »

Hello there, I would be grateful for some advice on moving in with my partner. We both live in London.

I am a single mum to a little girl aged 1 1/2 years and am currently on housing benefit and income support (looking for part time work). I have a partner these days and we want to move in together and get married hopefully next year, but we are worried we won't be able to afford to live together and we want to do it properly (read: all legally!).

He is also potentially in line for a council flat after having queued for years (he doesn't earn much, about £20k a year atm, and currently lives rent-free with a friend) but it is a one bedroom flat he is in line for - if he told them he wants to move in with his girlfriend / future wife who is on benefits, will he have any chance of getting a two bedroom flat - or if not, if we move in with him, will we eventually be able to upgrade to a two bedroom flat? Do I need to live in the same borough as him for this or does it make no difference at all, can he not "upgrade"?
I will get in the queue for one as well as I genuinely do not know how I will be able to afford rent with the flat prices going up and benefits going down and no part time jobs available, but I know queues are very long

However, it may still be years before he gets a flat, if ever (we don't know anything more yet). I would also be grateful for advice on what happens

1) if we get married and move in together - is there any difference compared to just living together unmarried?

2) if we move in together, what percentage of his wages will go on rent / how much housing benefit am I likely to lose? I have looked at the entitled.co.uk website but it appars to assume we already live together, I can't find a way of checking what happens if we do move in together to compare benefits.

3) Can we be married and live apart - how would this affect my benefits and rights?

Very grateful for any advice on this. I just want to live with the man I love without him having to lose most of his meagre earnings on rent as I am currently unable to contribute.

Earning £20k and pays no rent? Surely he has a nice little nest egg built up and the pair of you can privately rent whatever size flat you like together?

debrag

so you want 20k plus full benefits?! In London you could rent privately and claim LHA you'd pay something towards the rent per week.

Why are you so keen on keeping your HB? Can't he move in with you and you start a claim for a two bed place?

FBaby

How about you look for an evening/week-end job (or whatever time around your partner), when you do, take your DD to him. You can then apply for private rental on the basis of all combined salary. Once you move in together, you might be entitled to some tax credits to top up.

That's what many couple who have children together do, there is no reason why it should be different for you.

princessdon

Are you serious?

Can you marry and live separately for benefits- that really wasn't a serious question was it?

You stand more of a chance of getting a council home as a parent so you should register now for a 2 bed.

annie1975_2

Welcome to the real world.

grummps

I despair at the questions posed.

Or maybe the time has come to see if we should get divorced in order to maximise my entitlement.

I have the disability and not a pot to p**s in, whilst she owns the house and has all the savings in her sole name (done to remove anything of any value in my name years ago)

Maybe I could play on my disability, get a nice little HA flat for the over 60's, claim HB & CTB + other means tested benefits and have 'my ex wife' spend time with me as 'good friends'.

merlin68

Nobody gets a council flat unless they are literally homeless and i doubt the council would rehouse a single man earning 20k. Just because his on the list doesn't mean anything. If you want a house then you have to not leave your house at the end of the tenancy and wait for the baliffs to tip you out otherwise you will have made your self homeless and they won't rehouse you. 20k is a perfectly doable wage. you will get tax credits, child benifit and some housing benefit still.