Benefits

Podster33

Hey!

My GF is on protected benefits. She’s got a lifetime lease on her home and is in receipt of carers allowance for her 14 year old autistic son. She also gets income support and housing benefit.

Im on UC doing occasional work. I want to move in with her but she says that will screw up her claims??

Advice very welcome please!!!
Andy

elsien

You’d probably have to make a joint claim as a couple. Someone with more knowledge than me will be along soon. 
However part of me is also wondering if that’s a handy excuse for her just not being ready for you to move in. 

poppy12345

Not sure what you mean by "protected benefits" I'm not aware of such a thing. I'm assuming she's also claiming tax credits, which will end once you move in together. As new claims for tax credits are no longer possible then she will need to claim UC, a linking code will be sent to either yourself or her and your claims will then be joined together.

Once a claim for UC has been made her housing benefit will continue for a further 2 weeks and then transfer to UC.

If she's claiming the single person discount for her council tax then this will also stop.

Podster33

Cheers. I don’t want to upset her world is my main aim. It seems we are best off if I rent a room and leave her benefits in place (her benefits have been stable for 10+ years)
It just seems bonkers is this day and age that couples living independently are better off than couples living together 🤷🏻‍♂️

elsien

Generally speaking two people can live more cheaply than one - that’s why couples get less than two single people. Utilities, council tax etc are all proportionately less split between the two of you,
You may have more money coming in as two single people but you will also have higher individual outgoings. That’s the trade off.