How are gfs benefits affected if she came to live with me?

Iamdave

Just a hypothetical question at present but may become an issue next year and to be honest I don't have a lot of the facts just wondering how the situation works for each of us.

She currently works a part time job which is about 16hrs a week and gets working tax credit from that as well as child benefit for baby (not mine). She pays most of her rent (although still gets a small amount of housing benefit) for a flat herself now out of her wages.

If she came to live with me how would her benefits be affected? I earn £40k plus a year and own a (mortgaged) home. She would pay me a small amount of rent in an official line with a rent book initially as this would protect me a little.

Not trying to milk the system or anything just neither of us want her to be reliant on me for money orif she wants to buy something for herself. And there is the issue of the baby not being mine (even tho I treat him as my own).

Thoughts guys?

P.s. trying to word it best can, not looking to gain financially from benefits or anything just want to get the facts so we both know what's what and what's best for all of us

Hmm71

You would be treated as what you will be - a family. On £40k a year and her part time job I suspect she would lose entitlement to most if not all benefits. You might still be able to claim tax credits as a family.
Try putting all your details into one of these calculators:

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

They are accurate enough but not absolutely 100% accurate. I'll reserve judgement on the idea of your girlfriend having to have a rent book to live in your house, should it come to that.

If, on the other hand, it was her idea to have a rent book and pay you rent on the basis that she could still claim housing benefit then, as Mojisola said, she opens herself up to accusations of benefit fraud.

Marisco

If she moved in with you, you will then be a couple, and as such will not be entitle to any benefits taking into account your joint incomes. She will still be entitled to child benefit and of course her wages. TBH if you are thinking about charging her rent, I'd have a rethink about what sort of relationship you have/want!!

paddedjohn

With your £40k her benefits will stop, as a couple you can't just give her a rent book and charge her rent. I take it you don't really like this girl, you certainly don't sound like you want to commit to her.

Mojisola

Iamdave wrote: »

J She would pay me a small amount of rent in an official line with a rent book initially as this would protect me a little.

Before she moves in, you need to agree whether she's a lodger or a life partner. If she pays you rent and claims benefits as single parent but you are living as a family, she risks being charged with fraud.

You can play about with a range of scenarios on the benefit checker websites such as https://www.turn2us.org.uk

shop-to-drop

Her child benefit and maintenance from the father will remain unchanged but she won't get any other benefits you will be expected to support her and her daughter moving in together is a serious commitment for both of you.

Iamdave

She gets nothing from the child's father.

The rent book is not so she can claim any sort of benefit fraud etc it is to protect my asset in the house not because I don't see the relationship going anywhere etc but because I saved and worked for 5 years to buy the house.

If the relationship was to break-up for whatever reason in the early stages of her moving in then at least I'd be protected. Obviously as I hope we do stay together and things work out then we wouldn't have a rent book.

A mate of mine is currently in the situation where he bought a house about the same time as me, his gd moved in and they now split up and the house he saved for and has paid for is being divided off him.

The main reason I asked is as she's very Independant especially when it comes to the financials that she would earn enough to support her own lifestyle without having to ask me for money. Thought maybe that she would still get child benefit at a higher rate as she is not my child (not that that is relevant to me) and the father contributes nothing.

Mojisola

Read up on this site - https://www.advicenow.org.uk/living-together/

Has your friend had children with his gf? If not, she would have very little claim on his property.

Marisco

You know, if this is the way young people think of relationships these days, i.e in terms of the "financials", then I'm glad I'm cracking on a bit and it's all behind me, I just think it's so sad. If the op is so uncertain about how this will pan out, then why move in together? Do a bit of old fashioned "courting" first and get to know each other properly (well, as best as anyone can know another person!)

Fire_Fox

Mojisola wrote: »

Before she moves in, you need to agree whether she's a lodger or a life partner. If she pays you rent and claims benefits as single parent but you are living as a family, she risks being charged with fraud.

You can play about with a range of scenarios on the benefit checker websites such as https://www.turn2us.org.uk

You can't decide that, the DWP/ council will. They won't be living as lodger and landlord in separate rooms, all their possessions stored separately, not cooking or eating together. These are the sorts of things the powers-that-be look at when determining couple status.

Dunroamin

Iamdave wrote: »

The main reason I asked is as she's very Independant especially when it comes to the financials that she would earn enough to support her own lifestyle without having to ask me for money. Thought maybe that she would still get child benefit at a higher rate as she is not my child (not that that is relevant to me) and the father contributes nothing.

But surely she'll still earn the same money as she does now which will allow her to keep her financial independence?