If my partner moves in ? I'm Confused

cd36uk

I am currently a lone parent. I have one school aged child and one adult child who is doing an apprenticeship (extremely low wage)


My partner and I are talking about him moving in with us (not children's dad). I absolutely will not do this illegally.
I have recently been made redundant and have started claiming JSA, I also get part housing benefit and part council tax help. I am applying for work now.


I have tried the calculators on entitled to and turn2us however what I don't understand is when it asks for last years income, do I put my partner's in even though he wasn't (and still isn't yet) living with us?


I have tried both ways and get very different outcomes.
If I enter his income (for last tax year) I lose everything (even my child tax credit - she's my child, not his) including my JSA.
If I do not enter his last year income then I get some child tax credit and we even get some working tax credit.


Really confused. Perhaps we should wait until I find a job because he cannot be expected to support both me and my daughter and pay all household bills should he move in before I find a job?

BoJangles_2

Probably a good idea if you wait, unless you are all happy for him to support you all, as that is what he'll be expected to do if he moves in.

AngelOfTheNorth

cd36uk wrote: »

Really confused. Perhaps we should wait until I find a job because he cannot be expected to support both me and my daughter and pay all household bills should he move in before I find a job?

Actually, that's pretty much what would happen. If he moves in, you're a financial unit. They aren't going to be bothered who pays what bills, but you're not going to be able to continue claiming as a single person with no other income than what you've previously described coming into the household. Because you wouldn't be. Hence them asking about his income last year, because once you're living together, both of your incomes from 2013-14 are relevant for tax credits purposes. If you don't want this to happen, yes you're right to think you need to remain financially separate, ie not live together.

rogerblack

cd36uk wrote: »

I lose everything (even my child tax credit - she's my child, not his) including my JSA.

Addressing only this - you don't have enough NI conts in 2011/12 and 12/13 to get contributions JSA - or your 6 months on JSA-C is up?

cd36uk

rogerblack wrote: »

Addressing only this - you don't have enough NI conts in 2011/12 and 12/13 to get contributions JSA - or your 6 months on JSA-C is up?

Apparently I don't, as I did some temp and part time work during 2011

cd36uk

AngelOfTheNorth wrote: »

Actually, that's pretty much what would happen. If he moves in, you're a financial unit. They aren't going to be bothered who pays what bills, but you're not going to be able to continue claiming as a single person with no other income than what you've previously described coming into the household. Because you wouldn't be. Hence them asking about his income last year, because once you're living together, both of your incomes from 2013-14 are relevant for tax credits purposes. If you don't want this to happen, yes you're right to think you need to remain financially separate, ie not live together.

Shame really as we didn't even know each other most of that tax year, yet it counts !!

TELLIT01

Once a partner moves in you become a couple for benefits purposes and any Income Related entitlement is based on household income. There is no legal way around that.

BusPass_2

Daily Mail take great pains to report on benefits cases where partner has moved in and benefits continue to be claimed.


Heard a story a few years ago that investigating officers count the toothbrushes to prove/ disprove cases. Don't know if that's true though.

NYM

BusPass wrote: »

Daily Mail take great pains to report on benefits cases where partner has moved in and benefits continue to be claimed.


Heard a story a few years ago that investigating officers count the toothbrushes to prove/ disprove cases. Don't know if that's true though.

But it's true...Benefits can continue to be claimed, just not as a single person.

GirlFromMars_2

BusPass wrote: »

Daily Mail take great pains to report on benefits cases where partner has moved in and benefits continue to be claimed.


Heard a story a few years ago that investigating officers count the toothbrushes to prove/ disprove cases. Don't know if that's true though.

While I think we could all agree that it is universally true that there are unlikely to be fewer toothbrushes in a house than the number of people living there/staying over regularly. Surely it doesn't correlate so well the other way around? I have two toothbrushes, and would have had three if you'd asked me yesterday. I regularly keep the old one in the bathroom for long after I've replaced it with a new one.

I really hope investigators are more sophisticated than that, or everyone trying to swindle their benefits is just gonna suck it up and share a toothbrush - aka instant proof it's only them in the house!

rogerblack

There is no simple rule.
Staying over x nights a week.
Having a child together.
Being married.
Being seen by your friends as a couple.
Cooking meals together.
Sharing bills.
Having 2 toothbrushes.

None of these - alone - determines if you're seen as a couple. ('living together as husband and wife')
(being married is different for tax credits).