Definition of partner

Mackle

I was made redundant on Saturday, so today I tried to apply for JSA/UC. After going around in circles online, I finally reached a page that said I had to apply over the phone for my borough.

I called the DWP, went through the first set of questions (UC eligibility) and was then told I'd have to apply for JSA instead. Now, quite early on came the "have you got a partner?" question. I replied with "What are you terming as partner?"
"Do you have a wife or civil partner? Or do you live with something in a similar arrangement to having a wife or civil partner".
"No."

Then after a long pause waiting for the computer to move on, came the next question; " Do you have a partner who lives at another address?"
"What are you terming as a partner?"
"A person that you see on a regular basis and have a relationship with, but that is not a wife or civil partner and does not reside at your address".

I didn't think that they asked about girlfriends/boyfriends who you didn't live with?

That was followed by asking me for their address, before moving on to questions about the working/financial situation of my other half as apparently even though they are living at a different address, in order to process my JSA application I need to give details of combined total of assets and shares between the pair of us.

The bizarre thing was towards the end my status was put down as "single" by the adviser because my partner lives at a different address. So I'm single but my application is related to the finances of a partner? It doesn't make much sense.

Alice_Holt

Makes little sense to me.

FYI: This is the DWP criteria on assessing whether someone should be considered as part of a couple rather than as being single:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474014/dmgch11.pdf

Para 11101 on

This isn't "A person that you see on a regular basis and have a relationship with, but that is not a wife or civil partner and does not reside at your address".
It's more nuanced and complicated than that simple statement..

One definition of a relationship being "The way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave towards each other." (OUP)
So, that sentence could apply to the person I job share with - the relationship being related to work!

Londonsu

Mackle wrote: »

I was made redundant on Saturday, so today I tried to apply for JSA/UC. After going around in circles online, I finally reached a page that said I had to apply over the phone for my borough.

I called the DWP, went through the first set of questions (UC eligibility) and was then told I'd have to apply for JSA instead. Now, quite early on came the "have you got a partner?" question. I replied with "What are you terming as partner?"
"Do you have a wife or civil partner? Or do you live with something in a similar arrangement to having a wife or civil partner".
"No."

Then after a long pause waiting for the computer to move on, came the next question; " Do you have a partner who lives at another address?"
"What are you terming as a partner?"
"A person that you see on a regular basis and have a relationship with, but that is not a wife or civil partner and does not reside at your address".

I didn't think that they asked about girlfriends/boyfriends who you didn't live with?

That was followed by asking me for their address, before moving on to questions about the working/financial situation of my other half as apparently even though they are living at a different address, in order to process my JSA application I need to give details of combined total of assets and shares between the pair of us.

The bizarre thing was towards the end my status was put down as "single" by the adviser because my partner lives at a different address. So I'm single but my application is related to the finances of a partner? It doesn't make much sense.

Well yes of course you would have to disclose any monies you can rely on to support yourself and yes that would include joint savings you have with a partner even if you live at a separate address for instance if you lived apart because you are saving for a mortgage and you had a joint savings account with more than the permitted amount of savings for income related JSA/benefits then the DWP have to know about it, just because two people live at separate addresses it does not mean they have totally separate finances my own nephew lived with his parents for 4 years and his GF with her parents as it was cheaper than renting together while they were saving for a deposit, they ended up with approx 25k in their joint account but still had their own bank accounts for everyday use - its quite common

[Deleted User]

For cont. based benefits I can't see that it matters at all, a partner could be a millionaire but if you are claiming cont. based JSA no worries.

Mackle

venison wrote: »

For cont. based benefits I can't see that it matters at all, a partner could be a millionaire but if you are claiming cont. based JSA no worries.

Yes it was for contributions based as have been in full time for well over the required period paying in well over the required NI rate.

FBaby

Maybe it is to put a flag on the system as they are investigating more and more people who claim they live somewhere else, usually a parent or friend, make sure that they get all their correspondence to go there so that they can tick the boxes that evidences that they are not living as husband and wife, but then it is found that they are spending 6 days out of 7 at the other address and only have a couple of boxes at the other.

If that is the case, another case of innocent genuine people being penalised for those who play the system.

seven-day-weekend

So a casual partner/friend with benefits is expected to support you now?

lemontart

in dwp talk in means someone 1. you live with all the time. 2 live with most of the time

Guest101

FBaby wrote: »

Maybe it is to put a flag on the system as they are investigating more and more people who claim they live somewhere else, usually a parent or friend, make sure that they get all their correspondence to go there so that they can tick the boxes that evidences that they are not living as husband and wife, but then it is found that they are spending 6 days out of 7 at the other address and only have a couple of boxes at the other.

If that is the case, another case of innocent genuine people being penalised for those who play the system.

Where they sleep isn't relevant to the question.

FBaby

What is relevant is whether someone arrange to have access to another property for the purpose of using it as an address to tick the box that they can claim it is their main residence when they are actually physically living elsewhere.

Mackle

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

So a casual partner/friend with benefits is expected to support you now?

It seemed like it with the questions that were asked.

lemontart wrote: »

in dwp talk in means someone 1. you live with all the time. 2 live with most of the time

In those terms I don't have a partner. I feel I have been mislead by the adviser