What counts as living seperately when under the same roof???

[theophania]

We seem to have reached the end of the road, however moving out in the foreseeabe future is unlikely. I would eligible for tax credits if we are considered seperated which would help us go our seperate ways sooner rather than later...

What counts as living seperately when you are still residing under the same roof?

Can we still share a bedroom if we have seperate beds?
Not cooking, shopping, washing for each other and having our own food I know is one thing.

What else?

I presume we can still share use of the dishwasher????

I have googled to no avail to find criteria examples

[TiredDog]

Own bank accounts, separate finances both paying a sum towards the housekeeping. Yes you can share appliances. If you rented with a stranger what would you consider it normal to share?

I'd say the bedroom was a major no... Anyway you can divide living space up at all?

[theophania]

The finances etc yes that goes without saying.

No we can't split the bedroom up and I really don't want to have to sleep on the sofa every night plus I would still have to keep all my stuff in the bedroom

Nor do I want to have to share a room with one of the dc, they are all pre-teens...

[TiredDog]

thread on it

and another

That website has lots of people asking similar questions.

[theophania]

Thank you so much

We have been living together yet apart for a while but the only grounds for divorce are separation which we can't physically afford!

[theophania]

Still leaves lots of unanswered questions!!!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I guess we have to hope that the amicableness continues...

Will be interesting to see if anyone reports us for benefit fraud if we are still living under the same roof...

I can't see a way of us living separately without us all being subjected to poverty - live in the south east on low wages

[DownstairsMixUp]

Hello theophania i did this with my now ex-husband and everything you have said so far sounds fine though I agree, I don't think you should share rooms to sleep in. Luckily I had a sofa bed in my front room at my old flat so my exH slept on that and I had the bedroom (he still used the wardrobes etc for his clothes) could you maybe fit a sofa bed or buy a cheap one and put a throw over it in the day time to match the other furniture?

[theophania]

LOL - our house is tiny and there are 5 (6 when eldest is home) in it. Lounge is open plan and houses the cats overnight...

I read on the other forum about sharing a bed - well that isn't an issue. Our bedroom gets used as a 2nd lounge already in that it has a 2nd TV in it and the x-box, the joys of being crammed hence. Also why selling up and downsizing isn't an option - most 2 bed houses are more expensive than our 3 bed!

I've got a bad back so prolonged making do isn't much of an option, I finally have a lovely mattress and it's made such a difference - argh!!