How much worse off would I be if I moved in with my partner?

calcotti

daveandjadea said:  I may not be put into the UC equivalent of ESA-SG, in fact I may be found fit for work - the fear of UC is also a big factor to my decision, the prospect of weeks without payment then fighting to appeal medical assessment decisions. 

If you are in receipt of ESA Support Group when you claim UC your Support Group status should be transferred across to UC and you should have the LCWRA element included in the UC calculation. DWP can, of course, reassess you for at anytime for either UC or ESA.

likearubberball

If you're a couple, it's shared income , that tends to be part of the deal, so don't look at it as having no income of your own as it's all one pot. Living as two is meant to be cheaper than living separately because you're sharing utility bills, food is cheaper for two, etc.  So although you'll be getting less money coming in, in some respects you will have less outgoings. 
You can live with your partner, but you need to decide if the financial hit and the stress of the benefit changes is both do-able and whether the trade off is worth it for both of you with regard to all the positives of living with your partner. 

Spoonie_Turtle

daveandjadea said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

daveandjadea said:

I'm struggling with online benefits checker and due to the pandemic I can't go to CAB to check this. 
I'm on ESA-SG, I get housing benefit too and live in a council flat - I've applied for PIP but awaiting tribunal and may not get PIP. My partner works full-time on minimum wage, although as he works in bars his shifts can be inconsistent. 

I'm worried if my partner moves in then I'd lose ESA and we'd be expected to live on his income alone, or that we would have to be shifted into UC. 

Is the idea of my living with a partner just a dream? 

If you had to apply for UC, your maximum entitlement would be as follows:
Standard couple allowance: £594.04
LCWRA element: £341.92 (because you're already in the Support Group)
Housing element: £same or similar as HB currently - if you're a couple in a 1-bed council flat they will pay the amount of your full rent
(Possibly carer's element: £162.92 - if you're awarded daily living PIP and your partner cares for you 35hrs per week)

As you have LCWRA the first £292 of any earnings would be disregarded, then 63% of earnings above that would be deducted from your maximum UC entitlement. If you know what your partner's wage usually is (I know you said shifts vary but if the total number of hours stays the same) you'll be able to work this out. If the hours fluctuate, then you could work it out using the minimum he tends to earn and then the maximum.

Based on 40hrs p/w at minimum wage, 40x£8.72 = £348.80, x52 = £18137.60, ÷12 = £1511.46. -£292 = £1219.46, x0.63 = £768.26 to be deducted.
So even before taking into account the housing or potential carer's element, you would still be entitled to some UC (£167.70, in this calculation).

Of course this does depend on what exactly type of ESA you're claiming, and the above figures and calculations assume that your partner doesn't have savings or capital above £6000. If he does, then a proportional deduction would be made, £4.35 for every £250 or part thereof up to £16000. Over £16000 there's no entitlement. It also assumes your partner doesn't receive any other income; earnings are deducted at 63% but unearned income is deducted in full.

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/how-much-youll-get/

You may well get a fair amount less in benefits than you do now, but don't forget to add in your partner's income! Then the total household income should look a lot healthier.

Thank you for that break down.

So yes, it looks like we'd be worse off (and I'd be left with no income of my own) - more so if I lose out on severe disability premium - also I'd be concerned about dealing with more medical assessments. 

I may not be put into the UC equivalent of ESA-SG, in fact I may be found fit for work - the fear of UC is also a big factor to my decision, the prospect of weeks without payment then fighting to appeal medical assessment decisions. 

You'd add the housing element into the equation, the equivalent of your current Housing Benefit (although it's not disposable income, obviously) as well as how much your partner earns - will he keep everything that he earns and expect you to pay the rent from and live off what you jointly receive from benefits? If so that's no partnership and you shouldn't be considering moving in with such a person anyway. Means-tested benefits are based on joint income, so the overall household income is presumed to be for both people.

You don't currently receive the SDP so don't get hung up on that - you said PIP is a big 'if' so there's currently no overwhelming likelihood of getting then losing the SDP.

And as calcotti pointed out, your ESA status would be transferred over if you needed to apply for UC.

daveandjadea

He would be contributing to bills etc. but it doesn't change the fact I'd be getting no income. I find it ridiculous that this wouldn't be the case if we were just flatmates...but as we say we're in a relationship I lose money and have to be reliant on him. 

calcotti

daveandjadea said:.. I find it ridiculous that this wouldn't be the case if we were just flatmates...but as we say we're in a relationship I lose money and have to be reliant on him. 

Means tested benefits always take joint circumstances into account for couples. If not the state would end up supporting the stay at home partners of wealthy people - which would be ridiculous.

Robbie64

Is any of your ESA contributions based or is it all income based?

poppy12345

daveandjadea said:

He would be contributing to bills etc. but it doesn't change the fact I'd be getting no income. I find it ridiculous that this wouldn't be the case if we were just flatmates...but as we say we're in a relationship I lose money and have to be reliant on him. 

You are a couple and your partner is meant to support you, if you lived together.

Have you even used a benefits calculator to check entitlement to UC? You've been given quite a lot of advice but you seem to have ignored everything that others have advised.

Takmon

daveandjadea said:

He would be contributing to bills etc. but it doesn't change the fact I'd be getting no income. I find it ridiculous that this wouldn't be the case if we were just flatmates...but as we say we're in a relationship I lose money and have to be reliant on him. 

Like others have said if you live as a couple then you are expected to share your incomes and share all your bills, so you don't "lose money" because you will have lower outgoings when you live as a couple.
But from what you are saying it sounds like your not ready to live together as a couple if you aren't happy to share your incomes.

[Deleted User]

Don't do it!!

Relationships come and go, but HB is forever!!!

Speaking seriously, unless you are actually getting married and ready to spend the rest of your life with this person, it's too big of a risk to give up your HB.   You'd never be able to re-start your claim if the relationship didn't last.  UC has many more terms and conditions attached.

Can't you just spend half the week at his house, and he spends half the week at yours?