My savings impacting any claim partner might make?

poppy12345

baser999 said:

Thanks everyone, it seems that my savings are going to scupper any claims regardless of whether we claim to be a couple (which we undoubtedly are, despite not being married) or not. 

In view of Khans impending expansion of ULEZ we’ll be needing to buy another car so perhaps that’s a means of reducing my savings. Or is that construed as deliberately reducing capital to gain benefits? 

Whether you're married or not will have nothing to do with. As has been advised by others, if you live together, then you're classed as a couple.

There's no specific rules around deprivation of capital but if you buy the most expensive car then this may cause issues. However, with your state pension and private pension, owning your own home there will likely be no entitlement to any UC even without your savings because your state pension, private pension will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement and may reduce it to zero anyway.

calcotti

Alice_Holt said:

https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/understanding-living-together/

Relates to TC, but UC use the same criteria.

There are significant differences between TC and UC although they don't impact OP because the differences relate to this who are married or in a civil partnership. 

The key phrasing is
"two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners." are treated as a couple.

poppy12345 said:
However, with your state pension and private pension, owning your own home there will likely be no entitlement to any UC even without your savings because your state pension, private pension will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement and may reduce it to zero anyway. 

Absolutely. With a couple with no extra entitlement due to health issues or caring responsibilities there will be no UC payable if pension income exceeds £525/month.

NedS

baser999 said:

Thanks everyone, it seems that my savings are going to scupper any claims regardless of whether we claim to be a couple (which we undoubtedly are, despite not being married) or not. 

In view of Khans impending expansion of ULEZ we’ll be needing to buy another car so perhaps that’s a means of reducing my savings. Or is that construed as deliberately reducing capital to gain benefits? 

Before you start getting into complicated issues like deprivation of capital, I would look at it simply from the income point of view. Your pension income will be deducted pound for pound from any entitlement to UC, which in many cases will mean there is no entitlement to UC, before any capital (savings) are taken into consideration, so it may be a completely moot point.
The couple rates for UC are currently £525.72/month, rising to £578.82 after April, so if your combined monthly pension income is more than this, there will be no entitlement as you already have too much income to qualify (a full state pension is already way more than this). This assumes you are a couple living in your own home as stated, have no dependent children living with you and no health conditions that prevent either of you from working.