Need Benefit advice on what you think is best?

anonymous_26

Hello,

I am 40 weeks pregnant and expecting any day now, I am currently unemployed and have informed the benefits head offices 11 weeks before my due date and that I am single. I am currently house sharing and one of the tenants is actually the father of the baby... we are not in a romantic relationship but he will still be around for the baby. Do I need to ring back up to the benefits head offices and change my circumstances or shall I just leave it? I didn't actually state I was living with the father of the baby...

please help???!!!

iammumtoone

Do you each have your own separate tennacy agreement live in a HMO or do you house share both listed on the same tennacy agreement?

McKneff

I would still inform them of your circumstance

Alice_Holt

The criteria adopted by DWP for the Living together as Man & Wife test includes the following:
Living in the same household;
Stability of relationship;
Financial support ;
Dependent children;
Public acknowledgement;
Sexual relationship.

See: http://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/understanding-living-together/
Which has links to the compliance manual.

Would the father of your child financially support both you and his baby?
If the DWP believe you to be a couple, they will base any benefit entitlement on your joint incomes.

trigger_fish

OP

You are going to have a hard job persuading the DWP that you aren't a couple if living in the same property even if true.

I couldn't.

Unless of course they aren't aware of his existence. But think very carefully about that one.