Living with my partner but I have a council house too

frayedknot

I can understand your dilemma because if by partner you mean live-in boy/girlfriend you really have no rights to their house and can be out on your ear if you split up.

That said you can't just keep a council house ' in reserve' as insurance. Sooner or later the council are going to find out and they won't be best pleased.

HampshireH

The tenancy agreement will almost certainly say you social property must be your main and principle home.

By your own admission you don't live there. If you are claiming benefits on a property you don't live in then you could be investigate for benefit fraud.

Almost certainly the council will claim back any overpayment in housing benefit paid.

Also your partner won't be entitled to single person council tax rates and again if claiming those while you live with them the council could investigate and reclaim the overpayment.

Finally if you aren't living in your property you could be liable for more council tax too on an empty property.

Just be honest and do the right thing. You could be in a whole host of trouble by not doing so.

Edit: just re read your original post said child benefit not HB. The above around benefits will apply to HB and council tax rates. The rest applies.