AIBU to ask my partner to move out over benefits?

This is what's wrong with the world these days. You won't live your life how you want to coz you won't get as much in benefits. ie have other pay for you. There's couples who work full time that probably don't earn as much as you get in benefits & they make it work. If you lose £1000 because she moves in then work around it & live within your means. She's on a good wage by the sounds of it & will be saving if she moves in with you so there's your answer. Have her move in if that's what you both really want & live off what she earns & your benefits like everyone else has to do.

What did she say about her finances when it became obvious that she has more money than she had been letting on? I would be concerned that she hasn't been honest with you about money which suggests she might not want to use her money for you and your kids. If she's not going to split finances with you to make up for the benefits you will lose then you would be disadvantaged if she moves in and it wouldn't be a good move for you.

If you live purely off benefits - it is the tax payer who is providing for your children, not you.

I think YABU by trying to manipulate this to try to maximise on what benefits you can get.

Of course your earning partner who is living there should be contributing to your household costs - including school meals and prescriptions etc - you should be declaring yourself as a couple in your UC claim and not claiming more benefits than you need with the household income you now share.

There are other households out there with single people, who are more in need than you.

My friend is in the same boat. Her and her DP have been together 6 years or more and still live apart because of this reason! She would loose too much in benefits and as a couple they’d both be worse off.. so they live separately - him being there for dinner etc but going home to sleep basically

Nope, they said they’ll lose £1000 in income, and then have to pay on top for school meals and prescriptions etc. So the £1000 loss is actual money, then they’ll also lose the additional free stuff like £3000 in dentistry, expensive glasses twice a year, lots of prescriptions…

Indeed. Or maybe their view of what is even their money in the first place is... interesting.

I think they should have done that sooner. Asking someone to move in on a trial basis and then kicking them out when they found out how much money they would lose. I would be very surprised if the relationship will survive this

He or she has totted up all the stuff they will have to pay for that is currently covered by UC. Like prescriptions.

What? The partner will stay pay her tax, but the state won't be giving £1000 to someone who could be supported by a working person.

I have known two couples who were prosecuted by the DWP for claiming to live apart when they did not. They were avoiding making a joint claim to maximise benefits
But the DWP does not care if you are a couple who live apart and run separate households. I do not live with my DP. I have never had to declare I have a boyfriend. I would if he lived with me, but he does not.

No. But some people make separate claims claiming to be single when they aren't. There's probably a grey area somewhere -people who have chosen to ask their partner to leave so they get more benefits when they are still a couple. I do understand the dwp definition - I still think it's questionable - but probably not entirely their fault

They are risking prosecution - particularly as the dwp are currently doing spot checks of peoples bank accounts. You also have the right to report them.

It's not common in people I know but of course benefit fraud does go on. I only know of one person who committed fraud by conning people out of 10k and continuing to claim benefits. Most people on benefits I know are honest.

If a couple do live apart, and run separate households then they are not doing anything wrong.
In the eyes of the DWP, you are a couple if you live in the same household.

I know several people who live with their partner (unofficially) whilst claiming to be a non working or part time worker as a single parent and claiming benefits as such.
In these situations, those people are better off financially than those who work full time to support their family.
Very unfair and very common.
I was a single parent who worked full time to support my son, he was my responsibility.

Clearly the OP needs to get her partner to move out ASAP.
Maybe if she's not been there long she could say she was just visiting and get away with it.
Too much disruption for the children.
Just live apart.

The OP is not in an ideal situation but the partner moving in would be more disruptive to the children's lives and, let's face it, most cohabiting relationships end badly.

I also highly disagree that they should live together just because they're in a romantic relationship to save taxpayers' money. Like what? A shotgun wedding? Lol.
God no.
You lot would have had me as a recently qualified professional in my twenties moving in with my (then) deadbeat boyfriend so the state didn't have to support him thereby meaning that I would not have met the stable hard-working dh I now have.
Feck off. 😁

She should pay her way. 🤷‍♀️

I personally know very few people who live apart to maximise benefits - in fact I don't know any. If a couple do live apart and claim they are not a couple when they are the dwp can go through their finances and they can be prosecuted if they've given false information.

I grew up in a single parent family. It had nothing to do with benefits

This isn't a situation where they've deliberately stayed apart to keep someone on benefits - they've only been together two years. Couples don't have to live together

Because it's better if you and me continue to pay taxes to support.

Well yes. The dwp treat their income as a couples.

The fact that she moved in with you should have meant that you made a joint claim for UC- its not about bills. It's the fact you are living together as a couple

You seem to have already made the decision anyway but she will need to move out - or you'll need to tell the dwp that she's living with you

If you are going to lose a lot of money then she can't live with you. You are losing money because it's assumed her money will make up for the benefits you lose. It probably won't but I suppose that's the reason behind it.

Bloody hell, how much are you currently getting that you'll lose £1000? Any money paid for DC won't change, and if you are on PIP that won't change, surely? You mean your full rent and CT won't be covered?

It seems like she's savvy and has moved in because she knows she'll be better off.

Yes, she needs to move back out. Not least because she's pleaded poverty when she's doing well for herself.

The partner isn’t the kids parent though, and the kids are better off without this partner in their house so far.