Dependants

lookaftermymoney

My son is on PIP and universal credit. Lives at home. Aged 24. He pays me an amount every month towards bills/food from his benefits. It is not as much as rent and bills would be if he was on his own.
I am applying to transfer my cc balance to a 0% deal. Would my son be classed as a dependant still or can I say no and obviously include his monthly payment to me as additional income? Thanks.

blue.peter

It depends on the Ts & Cs of your credit card issuer. Typically, the requirement is that the second cardholder should be a family member and/or living at the same address. If the issuer of the new card for which you're applying operates on this basis, a second card for your son sounds like a possibility. However, this is not guaranteed. The new card issuer rules might be different. The only way of being sure is to ask them (either by talking to them or by reading their Ts & Cs).

Jami74

lookaftermymoney said:

My son is on PIP and universal credit. Lives at home. Aged 24. He pays me an amount every month towards bills/food from his benefits. It is not as much as rent and bills would be if he was on his own.
I am applying to transfer my cc balance to a 0% deal. Would my son be classed as a dependant still or can I say no and obviously include his monthly payment to me as additional income? Thanks.

I don't think he's a dependent if he's paying his way. Yes it would cost him more elsewhere, but that doesn't mean he couldn't live elsewhere and feed himself. If he is reliant on your income for survival, then he is a dependant.

I also don't think the money he gives you is income, because it covers the costs of his food/expensed. That money is not available to you to pay your credit card debt, which I think is the purpose of the question. If it is income then you should probably be declaring it for tax purposes.

blue.peter

Jami74 said:

I don't think he's a dependent if he's paying his way.

That depends on your definition of "dependant". As I recall from my working life, for example, a child might, in some contexts, be regarded as dependent until reaching a specified age (23, perhaps), irrespective of the financial position.

WillPS

Not a dependent, IMHO. Independent adult child, using but ultimately not reliant upon the OP for their survival.