Civil partnership, informing benefits?

ancojo

Hello

My partner and I are thinking of becoming a civil partnership but we are not sure if we have to inform the benefits office if we do this?

Our circumstances are this, shes on high PIP for both care and mobility and I claim Carers Allowance and do not work (Oxymoron?) We also get Income Support not UC, if we switch to UC we stand to lose about £95 per week so we are delaying until we are manage moved. This is the reason for asking because if we become a civil partnership and have to inform the benefits they will class this as a change in circumstances and change us to UC thus us losing money which we cannot afford.

Not sure of this is relevant but there are no young children at home other than our 19 year old son whos currently at college which ends this year, we get child benefit for him until August.

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

tomtom256

As long as you claim as a couple already, a civil partnership shouldn't make any difference and you would stay on existing benfits until the managed migration request is received.

You would only need to claim UC as a couple, if you are not already receiving Income Support as a couple.

ancojo

Wow thanks for the fast reply!

We're just a bit uneasy as we dont want the benefits changing us over until the last possible minute due to how it will negatively affect us. I'm not actually sure why changing to UC affects us so much but on various benefit calculators it shows how much we stand to lose if we do the switch ourselves! imo its very punishing and I'm not sure why this happens!

Many thanks again

poppy12345

Even if it did mean a claim for UC, you wouldn't automatically be put onto it anyway, you would need to claim it. As has been advised, this isn't a change of circumstances that will prompt a move.

sammyjammy

I'm not even sure you are required to let them know, when you are part of managed migration and make a claim to UC you can just declare yourself as a CP then.

peteuk

Do you currently live together?  I could be wrong but when you switch to UC CP or not, living together you’d apply as a couple…

NedS

peteuk said:

Do you currently live together?  I could be wrong but when you switch to UC CP or not, living together you’d apply as a couple…

Correct, for benefit purposes it makes absolutely no difference if you are married, in a civil partnership of just 'living together' in a relationship. If you live together in the same property then you are treated as a couple regardless of your relationship status (married, civil partnership etc).

ancojo

Thanks for all the replies, they are much appreciated.