Claim as single?

something_girl

Just a quick question, if anyone in the know could advise:

My boyfriend used to stay at my house most of the time, except when he stayed at his mothers when he saw his kids. Now that he has a job far away from where I live, he now stays at mine 3 nights a week, with the rest either in a hotel or at his mothers. We have nothing joint together, he is paying me back a loan I gave him to buy a car a year ago. I have 2 young children (not his) and all bills are in my sole name as is my house.

Should I now claim tax credits as a single person?

Thanks for help. I will ask tax credits people, but it's really hard to get through to them, so I thought I would gain the experience of regulars here.

mitchaa

Grey area.

You are obviously still in a relationship and are indeed not single, so be careful, 1 nosey neighbour, fraud investigation....criminal conviction.

I take it the 'single' claim is purely based for financial/benefit reasons and nothing else?

If you have nothing joint together, it doesn't neccessarly make you safe. You said you are receiving money off of him, what would benefits say about that? The ''i lent him a loan'' excuse is not a very strong argument.

Just be careful.

something_girl

well yeh, just seems wrong, I gain no financial benefit from my partner and the home and children are mine, as are the bills. So the 'living together as a married couple' just seems wrong, as that would imply that I gain financially from that arrangement.

mitchaa

something_girl wrote: »

well yeh, just seems wrong, I gain no financial benefit from my partner and the home and children are mine, as are the bills. So the 'living together as a married couple' just seems wrong, as that would imply that I gain financially from that arrangement.

When you nitpick right down to the nitty gritty, do you not financially gain at all, not even a little bit from his presence?

For example, you may financially gain by him bringing in a chineese 1 night for the tea. He has paid to feed you, so you didn't need to. If you wanted that chineese and had to pay for it yourself then you would have been down a fiver/tenner, but instead you still have that fiver/tenner in your purse.

That is only 1 example obviously and yes it is right down to nitty gritty. A lot of 'gifts' like this can add up to quite a bit of money. Ie another example, him taking you and picking you up from work. You have gained financially by not having to fork out for a bus or a taxi.

I know the married couple rule doesn't work like that but being in a relationship and i personally find it very hard to believe that someone wouldn't financially gain from it even if it did appear to be by a very small amount.

Yes its getting very anal, just trying to show an example of where you may gain etc.

i think benefits are a bit more lenient though and would dismiss things like this but im not a fraud inspector so i do not know.

C_Ronaldo

I wouldnt bother claiming to be honest,

Loopy_Girl

mitchaa wrote: »

When you nitpick right down to the nitty gritty, do you not financially gain at all, not even a little bit from his presence?

For example, you may financially gain by him bringing in a chineese 1 night for the tea. He has paid to feed you, so you didn't need to. If you wanted that chineese and had to pay for it yourself then you would have been down a fiver/tenner, but instead you still have that fiver/tenner in your purse.

That is only 1 example obviously and yes it is right down to nitty gritty. A lot of 'gifts' like this can add up to quite a bit of money. Ie another example, him taking you and picking you up from work. You have gained financially by not having to fork out for a bus or a taxi.

I know the married couple rule doesn't work like that but being in a relationship and i personally find it very hard to believe that someone wouldn't financially gain from it even if it did appear to be by a very small amount.

Yes its getting very anal, just trying to show an example of where you may gain etc.

i think benefits are a bit more lenient though and would dismiss things like this but im not a fraud inspector so i do not know.

Are you kidding? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: That's called being nice, not trying to work the system

So every Friday her best friend comes round with a bottle of wine and buys the takeaway, same friend also takes her to Asda every week to save her carrying her shopping - should she not claim as a single parent?!!!!!! Oh course she should. People do nice things for one another.

They are not living together, he doesn't contribute to the family household running of the house and the kids aren't his - of course she should claim as a single parent.

God forbid lone parent's have a life...can you imagine the first date? 'yeah my fave colour is pink oh and by the way, I will need to come off IS since we are seeing each other and you will need to support me and my kids. Another drink?'!!!!

mitchaa

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

Are you kidding? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: That's called being nice, not trying to work the system

So every Friday her best friend comes round with a bottle of wine and buys the takeaway, same friend also takes her to Asda every week to save her carrying her shopping - should she not claim as a single parent?!!!!!! Oh course she should. People do nice things for one another.

They are not living together, he doesn't contribute to the family household running of the house and the kids aren't his - of course she should claim as a single parent.

God forbid lone parent's have a life...can you imagine the first date? 'yeah my fave colour is pink oh and by the way, I will need to come off IS since we are seeing each other and you will need to support me and my kids. Another drink?'!!!!

No, my point about being in a relationship is that no matter how small you think it is, you may well financially gain from it. The chineese example just a very lame example. What about if he bought the chineese once a week, thats a saving of £520 over the year.

I did say down to the nitty gritty

And i did say for benefit reasons, i doubt something like that would make a difference

sarahlouise210

You would have a similar scenario if your partner was in the forces or something similar.........would you not be in a relationship because he worked abroad....I dont think so!! It seems he works away in the week and comes home at weekends...just like thousands of others do! If he is not contributing financially and he is working - you have to ask yourself why not???? I think he wants his cake and eat it too! You know you are not single so claiming you are would be the wrong road to go down. Its entirely up to you of course...but given the situation you describe - I wouldn`t.

mitchaa

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

They are not living together, he doesn't contribute to the family household running of the house and the kids aren't his - of course she should claim as a single parent.

As far as i was aware, he was handing over money for a 'loan' that she helped him with. How does she prove that this loan ever existed and that he doesn't just give her say £200pm a month towards her bills, food?

The 'loan' excuse i would imagine has been used a billion times before. Unless there is a written contract or proof of the loan, then they would see straight through it.

it may be this that catches her out, not the £10 chineese meals

Mollymop5

I think we need to remember we're talking tax credits here and not benefits.
If you were claiming Income support there are issues over how often a person stays over. I'm a lone parent and asking this ages ago and was told 2 nights per week was acceptable to have a friend stay over more than that then they could be seen as being permanent.
When I applied for tax credits I explained to the person on the other side of the phone that my kids stayed with their dad 3 times per week and sometimes through holidays.I was told they didn't need to know that.Tey only needed to know household income.
I think that if its your house, your bills then he's just a guest and they won't need to know that.

mitchaa

sarahlouise210 wrote: »

You would have a similar scenario if your partner was in the forces or something similar.........would you not be in a relationship because he worked abroad....I dont think so!! It seems he works away in the week and comes home at weekends...just like thousands of others do! If he is not contributing financially and he is working - you have to ask yourself why not???? I think he wants his cake and eat it too!

He probably is contributing indirectly, giving her money for the shopping etc.

Just because they have no financial linkage, ie they have seperate bank accounts:rolleyes: then the financial dependancy doesn't exist.

We all know in real terms that it does, it just cant be proven because of the single bank account, my name on the bills, his name at another address excuse.

It is fiddling the system, no matter what way you look at it. They are obviously in a relationship and he works away all week and because of this purely for benefit reasons they want to ''split up'' and claim singular benefits.

That's where its a grey area.