Do I "live" with my partner?

snipzychick

If he is staying at yours 5/6 nights a week he is living there!! Why he is not helping you out with bills/rent ??

Seems to me he's got it cushy actually, he lives with you without any of the actual commitment either financially or emotionally!!

I would sit him down and have a good chat and tell him about the forms, don't risk getting caught by the council they will class you as living together!

emmy05

err sorry, am i dumb? is this the one youre on about in this thread here?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=749093

and youre saying 'he comes home?'

terryw

I am not sure from the thread if the partner is the father of the child. If he is then, he should be paying maintenance or CSA. If not, and if he makes no financial contribution, and his own abode (that he pays for at his own expense out of his own money) is elsewhere then the OP may well have a valid point that they they are not a couple for benefit purposes.

DaisyFlower

I would say if he spends 5 or 6 nights at yours then you are a couple living together. The odd night, no or if he returned home to his mums every night but he is at yours for the majority of the week. From other posts, you class him as your OH so you need to be declaring living together as a couple and informing HB, CTC etc.

terryw

snipzychick wrote: »

Seems to me he's got it cushy actually, he lives with you without any of the actual commitment either financially or emotionally!!

So true Snipzychick.

shellsuit

terryw wrote: »

It is not as simple as that. If it was, any soldier, long distance lorry driver or indeed any person who worked away could claim that they did not live there and therefore the partner was entitled to benefits. This whole thing about the number of nights stayed is not an exclusive indication of "living as husband and wife". It is to do with financial arrangements and other people's perceptions if the couple are a couple or not.

You could even have couples who are parted but continue to live in the same house because of housing difficulties.

Hi Terry, I understand all that and agree with you, I just based my post on the OPs circumstances

Jo_R_2

emmy05 wrote: »

err sorry, am i dumb? is this the one youre on about in this thread here?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=749093

and youre saying 'he comes home?'

Yes, as in he comes to my home. A whole lot of semantics!

Jo_R_2

terryw wrote: »

I am not sure from the thread if the partner is the father of the child. If he is then, he should be paying maintenance or CSA. If not, and if he makes no financial contribution, and his own abode (that he pays for at his own expense out of his own money) is elsewhere then the OP may well have a valid point that they they are not a couple for benefit purposes.

No, he's not the father of my children. He doesn't contribute anything financially either to the household, to me or for the children. He pays monthly board to his mother.

I think it would be a whole lot easier if the guidelines were set in stone, but as far as I'm aware, although there are certain points to look for, at the end of the day it is down to the discretion of an investigator as to whether two people are classed as a couple for benefit purposes or not.

The thing is, if he moved in, brought his worldly possessions here with him, called this his home, had his name on the bills, paid the rent with me, did the shopping and took responsibility for the children as a step father, then I'd be off to the council with absolutely no doubts whatsoever that we were a couple for benefit purposes.

I just find it hard that I could have my benefit taken away because he sleeps in my bed and we spend time together, if you see what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I'm not disputing that it could be seen as living together - I just don't consider it that. And mitchaa - I'm talking about 'husband and wife' as in "living together as husband and wife" which is the benefit rule that we're talking about btw.

Fran

On another thread you have said

...and me and my OH have been discussing buying a house.

.

The fact you refer to him as OH, that he stays over at least five nights a week, that other people see you as a couple strongly suggests to me that you would be seen as a couple. Also you see a future as you are thinking about buying a house. Many people have asked this question and we don't know the full circumstances, but given what you have said I would guess DWP would also reach that conclusion. Why not claim WTC?

shellsuit

Jo_R wrote: »

No, he's not the father of my children. He doesn't contribute anything financially either to the household, to me or for the children. He pays monthly board to his mother.

I think it would be a whole lot easier if the guidelines were set in stone, but as far as I'm aware, although there are certain points to look for, at the end of the day it is down to the discretion of an investigator as to whether two people are classed as a couple for benefit purposes or not.

The thing is, if he moved in, brought his worldly possessions here with him, called this his home, had his name on the bills, paid the rent with me, did the shopping and took responsibility for the children as a step father, then I'd be off to the council with absolutely no doubts whatsoever that we were a couple for benefit purposes.

I just find it hard that I could have my benefit taken away because he sleeps in my bed and we spend time together, if you see what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I'm not disputing that it could be seen as living together - I just don't consider it that. And mitchaa - I'm talking about 'husband and wife' as in "living together as husband and wife" which is the benefit rule that we're talking about btw.

That's the point though Jo, you are living, in your home for so many days of the week, as husband and wife, because you are in a relationship.

Why should you claim as a single parent when you are only a single parent for 1 or 2 days of the week? If on the other hand, he stayed over 1 or 2 nights of the week, I don't think it would be frowned upon as much.

Either you'll have to speak to your BF about moving in properly as you will have to declare it, or he will have to stop staying over as often.

If your BF doesn't like the idea of sharing finances with you, for you and the children, then him moving in won't be a good idea at all. Are you OK with him not contributing when he stays over?? Does he offer you anything when he stays 5 or 6 nights of the week?

You could I suppose, have a look on entitledto and see what tax credits you would be able to claim as a couple.