To ask whether anyone here has ever been investigated by DWP for “living with a partner”?

That’s awful for you, they purposely didn’t give you the full information about the person financially contributing to scare you into stopping your claim. I’m glad it worked out for you

As long as they can prove he doesn’t pay for any of her bills or mortgage/rent and actually does live with his father then I don’t see what she has to worry about. He stays with her and they are a couple but I thought it was about financial support, people are allowed to date without the other person having to pay for a woman and her children after a few months that’s ridiculous are they saying a man who stays 3 nights a week with his girlfriend has to start paying for everything. Get all the evidence together like bank accounts and bills and shows that she pays for everything then they should be fine.

Exactly.
Some people think that PIP should be means tested which means disabled women would have no money at all if their live in partner earns too much. A recipe for disaster.

@whattheysayI didnt know I could have done that. I read the letter, thought “yep, we’re in a relationship”, called them up and that was that. Then cried down the phone to him about how I was going to have to give up work. I was never advise I could prove he wasn’t living here as that wasn’t the question, it was whether we were perceived to be as a couple. Obviously if this had happened now, I’d be more informed to challenge it. My answer to the OP was however to inform her that her friend perhaps had a letter first to inform her that they were looking into her claim, like I did. This was back in tax credit times, I know things have moved on since then.

I understand that you were scared and it’s totally wrong for you to have had to feel like that. However surely it would have been less awkward to ask him to provide some evidence of his residence rather than ask him to pay your bills

I think that's dreadful of the dwp. It's the 21 century we don't expect women to be financially dependant on their partners in other circumstances so that should be no different. It's a recipe for financial abuse. Especially as a large percentage of women affected are going to be disabled and disabled women already have a horrendously high risk of domestic abuse.

@whattheysayit was enough to scare me into not claiming. The letter asked if our friends/relatives perceived us to be a couple…which they did. There was nothing on the form about how many nights per weeks he stayed, or whether he contributed to the household. It was focused around whether we were in a couple or not. We had been together 7 months. I was not ready for him to move him, I had just started to gently introduce him to my children. I was paying my bills, youngest was going to nursery so I could work. But once they took away the almost £400, it removed my ability to work. So basically I was being punished for having a boyfriend. And I’m lucky he could make up the shortfall.

For posters asking if they need to inform the job centre, I really don’t know. This was back in 2012 and the letter was enough to stop me claiming. Maybe I should have challenged it, but from reading on here I would have had to prove my partner had his own house with bank statements, electoral status - something which I wouldn’t and shouldn’t have to ask from him at the time.

Or he pays for his own share so she is no better or worse off than She would be without him visiting?

So either:

1. He's living there most of the time and she is paying more in bills, food, etc. to support him whilst he's there, in which case, she clearly doesn't need as much money as she's getting OR
2. He's living there most of the time and contributing financially to the household in which case, she clearly doesn't need as much money as she's getting.

That last paragraph was what concerned me. I am not single but do not live with my boyfriend.
Also the person who said that it should not be up to the taxpayer to fund people who are are still deciding to live together or not.
I have been with my boyfriend for over 2 years and right now have no plans to live together. But he does stay at mine on occasion. We have gone away together too and also he eats here sometimes. He takes me shopping as I can't manage on my own at times. But we share no finances at all and have our own totally separate households. I am on UC and he works.

it is horrible to think that because someone is on UC then they can't have a relationship without it affecting their benefits.

This surely can’t be right, that if a person has a boyfriend and posts a few photos on social media and goes away with them but doesn’t contribute to their household bills and rent then they stop getting benefits and the random boyfriend had to pay the bills? How does anyone date in these circumstances?

As PPs have said they need to prove where his sole and main residence is. If the Dad has claimed Single Person Discount and given her address then it is a pretty open and shut case. They can check the electoral register at both addresses, his credit records. If he genuinely lives with his Dad he should have proof of credit, his driving licence, proof he is paying his Dad board, wage slips to his Dad's house etc.

If she can prove he’s not resident there and doesn’t contribute to the household she’ll be fine. DWP are looking for signs they are living together as would a married couple. One word of warning though. If this is an interview under caution, it’s wise to take a solicitor. She needs to check.

If you’re close friends then have you spoken to her about this? Are the kids girls? Bad either way but if they’re girls it’s also worth mentioning some pretty thought provoking stats to her re unrelated males being moved into the home.

It’s pretty straightforward. Ask her:

• is he registered to vote at the property he owns with his dad
• is his dad claiming single person council tax discount
• does he pay the bills, gas, electric, water etc from his bank account at his own property
• does he pay her any money regularly for staying there or pay any of her bills
• has he changed to her address for GP, driving licence or bank

as long as he can show the 3 top things then it will be fine.
If he can’t prove the first 3 or the last two apply they are likely to sanction and or prosecute.

it’s a tough one because I agree you shouldn’t lose all benefits in the early days of a relationship, but if you are getting bills paid or regular money from a bf it’s a bit of a cheek to claim universal credit (and fraud)

Together less than a year and he’s staying over half the week. And after they’ve already been around one abusive relationship previously so have witnessed unhealthy dynamics before. Poor kids 😔

If he genuinely doesn't live there and they don't pay for eachothers bills, food, phone etc I hope it's be fine

So do I, @DiscoBob, but once alerted they won't just take the claimant's word for it - they'll want bank statements too, and will be quite used to hearing "Oh they only paid my bill that one time", "They only send that to my address because it's safer" and so on

I did but it was about 15 years ago. They had all my bank statements and asked me about some payments and checked that I was paying all my main bills myself

I think I took evidence of bills/electoral register etc that were addressed to my partner's actual address

I was investigated four years ago after some nosey person decided I shouldn't have a boyfriend .
Its a long distance relationship(see each other at weekends alturnating between mine and his) Anyway I could easily prove that we 'Maintained separate households ' by supplying his bank statements,tenancy agreement and copies of bills that proved he lived elsewhere .I was completely honest and told them we spent weekends with each other and went on holiday together but they closed the case with no further action. ..its probably quite easy to prove someone lives elsewhere when they are paying bills,council tax and are employed some distance away .

Thank you. If he genuinely doesn't live there and they don't pay for eachothers bills, food, phone etc I hope it's be fine.

I think if there are no bills or correspondence coming to the address under his name, and he has proof he lives elsewhere it should be ok?

Has she got kids with the bf?

They may want to visit the house. If his stuff is there and it looks like they're a couple that could be a red flag.