Benefits and new partner??

Pink2309

I currently live on my own with my 3year old daughter. I had to give up work due to my daughters health.

I am in reciept of all benefits at the moment. I struggle to get by each month even though I get help towards my rent. I am thinking about asking a new partner to move in but unsure of how this will affect my benefits. He works and receives 180 per week.

Any advice would be great?

SPELLKASTER

I strongly advise not to let your partner move in as if your on a means tested benefit you would loose all your money and he would be expected to support you.

I am in the same predicament; I live with a partner and cant get no means tested benefit because his earning would be taken into account.

I've lost over £60 a week because of this and I cant get no help with dental costs, glasses, etc etc.

We also cant claim working tax credit because he earns too much!!

Please think twice before going ahead and moving your partner in; you will financially regret it!!

Housing_Benefit_Officer

PDeleted_User09 wrote: »

I currently live on my own with my 3year old daughter. I had to give up work due to my daughters health.

I am in reciept of all benefits at the moment. I struggle to get by each month even though I get help towards my rent. I am thinking about asking a new partner to move in but unsure of how this will affect my benefits. He works and receives 180 per week.

Any advice would be great?

The amount the Government state a couple with one child need to live on are as follows:-

For a couple - £112.55
1 child - £65.62
Family premium £17.40

Total = £195.57

£10 of earned wages is disregarded so £170 of the wages are treated as income. Child Benefit is disregarded as income.

You would still get full help towards rent and council tax if your only household income was £180 per week.

However you and your partner should qualify for Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits - if so this is treated as income and would reduce any help towards rent and council tax.

Have you spoken with HMRC and asked for a rough trial calculation of potential Tax Credit entitlement?

PS Do you receive DLA for your daughter at all? If so figures I have used above would be wrong.

heartbreak_star

Surely if you're in love, you want to be together, right?

If it's a long-term relationship, and he stays over a lot, you may find yourself investigated for fraud if you're living apart on paper to maximise benefits. I'm sure there's a post about it on here somewhere.

It is something that has to be thought about carefully from an emotional as well as financial side of things. How long have you been together? Has he met your LO?

HBS x

antrobus

heartbreak_star wrote: »

...If it's a long-term relationship, and he stays over a lot, you may find yourself investigated for fraud if you're living apart on paper to maximise benefits. I'm sure there's a post about it on here somewhere.

The DWP call it LTAHAW - Living together as husband and wife. You can access their section of the manual on the subject at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch11.pdf