What does 'Partner' mean in terms of DWP? Martin uses this term in his guide to UC - can he clarify?

Anna_Mc_Kinnon

there are lots of different types of forms about where when you start filling them for whatever purpose and you have to tick those boxes......at the start somewhere it says

tick one of them............single......married.....divorced.....separated       and today in 2023     i am sure there are other boxes........where it should say.......transgender........this and that.........it is a crazy country.

therefore    can you be  both single/married and separated ???????   for whatever purpose

can somebody tell me.

poppy12345

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

there are lots of different types of forms about where when you start filling them for whatever purpose and you have to tick those boxes......at the start somewhere it says

tick one of them............single......married.....divorced.....separated       and today in 2023     i am sure there are other boxes........where it should say.......transgender........this and that.........it is a crazy country.

therefore    can you be  both single/married and separated ???????   for whatever purpose

can somebody tell me.

This forum is about helping people with their entitlement to benefits, not about helping you with your study research. It's not helpful to continue with your questions on someone else's thread when you already have a thread here. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6494430/elderly-man-and-younger-wife-and-one-child-wife-is-self-employed-claiming-tax-credits#latest

sheramber

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

there are lots of different types of forms about where when you start filling them for whatever purpose and you have to tick those boxes......at the start somewhere it says

tick one of them............single......married.....divorced.....separated       and today in 2023     i am sure there are other boxes........where it should say.......transgender........this and that.........it is a crazy country.

therefore    can you be  both single/married and separated ???????   for whatever purpose

can somebody tell me.

Do you realise you are asking strangers on a forum who volunteer to answer? You have no idea if the answers they might give  are correct or not. There is no requirement to be an authority on the subject to answer a question on here. 

So, your so called research could be a load of rubbish. 

Do your own research which will give you references to quote where your answers came from.
 I don’t think a reference to an anonymous online forum would count for much.

born_again

 it seems they are now using the term 'partner' for any couple living together - boyfriend and girlfriend and so on. However my understanding is that for a couple to submit a joint claim under the law they must be 'living together as a married couple' (It used to be Living Together as Husband and Wife - LTAHAW - and now will presumably include Living Together In a Civil Partnership). But the essential element is that couples who make a joint claim do so in circumstances where they are living together in a relationship that is THE SAME AS MARRIAGE.  

Play on words.

The test has to be living together. No matter what they may call themselves.

Grumpy_chap

Muttleythefrog said:

This could all be avoided if we eradicated the ridiculously outdated concept of marriage and did away with joint claims.

I imagine there would ne uproar from some quarters if joint claims were ceased.
Many couples have one working partner and one non-working partner.  If that non-working partner could claim UC on the basis of no income, yet the working partner bringing a large income into the household, the tabloid press would be very quick to draw attention to benefits claimants driving Ferraris.

Alice_Holt

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

What about a married couple who have made a seperation (sic) contract and are actually living apart and have no sexual contact at all

      Depends on the benefit, and on the judgement of a DWP decision maker (DM).

     So for Tax Credits:
    https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/understanding-living-together/#:~:text=The Act then goes on,likely to be permanent, or

Whereas for UC:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7575a740f0b6397f35e96f/adme4.pdf

I assume you are genuine in asking this question, and it relates to benefits entitlement advice.
Ultimately if you disagree with the DWP DM you could appeal to tribunal.
The tribunal judge will be guided by legislation and relevant case law, as it applies to your particular circumstances.

peteuk

Alice_Holt said:

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

What about a married couple who have made a seperation (sic) contract and are actually living apart and have no sexual contact at all

I assume you are genuine in asking this question, and it relates to benefits entitlement advice.
Ultimately if you disagree with the DWP DM you could appeal to tribunal.
The tribunal judge will be guided by legislation and relevant case law, as it applies to your particular circumstances.

Dont bother with this time waster Alice, she’s a student doing advanced research and has no real need of help.  I would even go as far as to say she’s not even UK based.   That is an assumption on my part due to 1) the lack of clarity, if a UK yudent youd note the level of course (HSD, BSC, Master ect) but the other thread notes undertaking advanced research. 2) the repetitive notion of signing a separation certificate/notification. Which is not required in the UK 3) grasp of English, punctuation and basic grammar,

I lived in SE Asia for 6 years (and loved it) but given that the situations described on other threads are young Asian ladies marrying older UK based men, I suspect Anna is somewhat of SE Asian decent.  Im not saying theres anything wrong with that but it appears (although Ive been told optics dont count for this forum) but IMHO I wouldn’t be suprised if Anna isn’t looking for a rich European husband and is currently researching what happens in a few years….  

Anna has been either ignored or reported by others on the boards. 

poppy12345

peteuk said:

Alice_Holt said:

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

What about a married couple who have made a seperation (sic) contract and are actually living apart and have no sexual contact at all

I assume you are genuine in asking this question, and it relates to benefits entitlement advice.
Ultimately if you disagree with the DWP DM you could appeal to tribunal.
The tribunal judge will be guided by legislation and relevant case law, as it applies to your particular circumstances.

Dont bother with this time waster Alice, she’s a student doing advanced research and has no real need of help.  I would even go as far as to say she’s not even UK based.   That is an assumption on my part due to 1) the lack of clarity, if a UK yudent youd note the level of course (HSD, BSC, Master ect) but the other thread notes undertaking advanced research. 2) the repetitive notion of signing a separation certificate/notification. Which is not required in the UK 3) grasp of English, punctuation and basic grammar,

I lived in SE Asia for 6 years (and loved it) but given that the situations described on other threads are young Asian ladies marrying older UK based men, I suspect Anna is somewhat of SE Asian decent.  Im not saying theres anything wrong with that but it appears (although Ive been told optics dont count for this forum) but IMHO I wouldn’t be suprised if Anna isn’t looking for a rich European husband and is currently researching what happens in a few years….  

Anna has been either ignored or reported by others on the boards. 

I note the thread has now been removed.

Alice_Holt

poppy12345 said:

peteuk said:

Alice_Holt said:

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

What about a married couple who have made a seperation (sic) contract and are actually living apart and have no sexual contact at all

I assume you are genuine in asking this question, and it relates to benefits entitlement advice.
Ultimately if you disagree with the DWP DM you could appeal to tribunal.
The tribunal judge will be guided by legislation and relevant case law, as it applies to your particular circumstances.

Dont bother with this time waster Alice, she’s a student doing advanced research and has no real need of help.  I would even go as far as to say she’s not even UK based.   That is an assumption on my part due to 1) the lack of clarity, if a UK yudent youd note the level of course (HSD, BSC, Master ect) but the other thread notes undertaking advanced research. 2) the repetitive notion of signing a separation certificate/notification. Which is not required in the UK 3) grasp of English, punctuation and basic grammar,

I lived in SE Asia for 6 years (and loved it) but given that the situations described on other threads are young Asian ladies marrying older UK based men, I suspect Anna is somewhat of SE Asian decent.  Im not saying theres anything wrong with that but it appears (although Ive been told optics dont count for this forum) but IMHO I wouldn’t be suprised if Anna isn’t looking for a rich European husband and is currently researching what happens in a few years….  

Anna has been either ignored or reported by others on the boards. 

I note the thread has now been removed.

        I reported this thread, with a suggestion to MSE Towers that it is now closed. 

  However, given that other forumites might be genuinely interested in the question, thought it worthwhile to provide some links about the topic.  

Muttleythefrog

Grumpy_chap said:

Muttleythefrog said:

This could all be avoided if we eradicated the ridiculously outdated concept of marriage and did away with joint claims.

I imagine there would ne uproar from some quarters if joint claims were ceased.
Many couples have one working partner and one non-working partner.  If that non-working partner could claim UC on the basis of no income, yet the working partner bringing a large income into the household, the tabloid press would be very quick to draw attention to benefits claimants driving Ferraris.

That happens now.. they just live apart or claim to live apart... hence my suggestion the state defining couples depending on scenario is a recipe for fraud, error, manipulation and imposes restriction or definitions on people's private lives and how they conduct them. The current system is a disincentive to families living together when on means tested benefits... while for example the immigration system offers up disincentive for abused foreign partners to leave their abuser. The state pensions system (another benefit) has shifted in the right direction to treating people as individuals.