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Claiming as a couple
Comments
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New user... controversial question... usually only means one thing!
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I live round the corner so its no big deal really but if I lose out on money I'd rather stay where I am
You'd rather live around the corner, thinking you have less money,despite the fact you probably won't, than give your daughter a proper family?
Do you think your girlfriend would put up with that for long?If women are birds and freedom is flight are trapped women Dodos?0 -
It is quite legal to arrange your affairs to maximize on tax savings, or benefits.
If the OP has never lived with their partner, and maintains a separate home, they can quite legally choose to maintain two homes, even if they have children and get married.
As long as they remain maintaining two homes, and do not use the two houses as one.
(talking for the moment about income based ESA,JSA,IS, ...)0 -
Why don't you just work it out?
I am guessing that all you can claim is housing benefit - as your 16 hours of work a week would take you to over the JSA amount.
But you also wouldn't have a house to pay for - so don't need the housing benefit.
Your girlfriend on the other hand - is claiming as a single parent, put the circumstance into entitled.com and see how much she would get with you living there and without you living there.
As you wouldn't lose any significant amount of money, and jointly you would have lower bills, then overall there wouldn't be much difference probabbly.
If you could get your hours up to 24 you would also been entitled to working tax credits if living with your childWeight loss challenge, lose 15lb in 6 weeks before Christmas.0 -
rogerblack wrote: »It is quite legal to arrange your affairs to maximize on tax savings, or benefits.
If the OP has never lived with their partner, and maintains a separate home, they can quite legally choose to maintain two homes, even if they have children and get married.
As long as they remain maintaining two homes, and do not use the two houses as one.
(talking for the moment about income based ESA,JSA,IS, ...)
You do come across as rather hypocritical at times. You spend a great deal of time criticising the DWP, then in the next breath encourage people to play the system. Can you not understand why the DWP are defensive and cynical when people do as you suggest?0 -
You do come across as rather hypocritical at times. You spend a great deal of time criticising the DWP, then in the next breath encourage people to play the system. Can you not understand why the DWP are defensive and cynical when people do as you suggest?
The DWP do not get to set the law.
They have to comply with it - even if they dislike it. In some cases, this will be to the benefit of claimants, in other cases, to their detriment.
I have tried to avoid debates on what policy should be, and restricted myself to current effects of government policy.0 -
Why don't you just work it out?
I am guessing that all you can claim is housing benefit - as your 16 hours of work a week would take you to over the JSA amount.
But you also wouldn't have a house to pay for - so don't need the housing benefit.
Your girlfriend on the other hand - is claiming as a single parent, put the circumstance into entitled.com and see how much she would get with you living there and without you living there.
As you wouldn't lose any significant amount of money, and jointly you would have lower bills, then overall there wouldn't be much difference probabbly.
If you could get your hours up to 24 you would also been entitled to working tax credits if living with your child
Why do people always advise others to increase their hours so they can claim TC...how about increasing their hours just so they can increase their earnings and maybe earn enough so they don't have to claim TC.0 -
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Why do people always advise others to increase their hours so they can claim TC...how about increasing their hours just so they can increase their earnings and maybe earn enough so they don't have to claim TC.
Probably because it seems to be what works!If women are birds and freedom is flight are trapped women Dodos?0 -
rogerblack wrote: »It is quite legal to arrange your affairs to maximize on tax savings, or benefits.
Putting your savings (from an already taxed salary) into an ISA, is not the same as cheating/fraud the system to get higher amounts of benefits.0
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