To ask if it's financially possible for a partner to move in (UC related)

[Shinydiscoballs1]

How does it work for universal credit if I decide on a partner moving in with me and my kids?
Would uc base my award on our joint income?
Do people find that this would not work financially?
If i get £800/ month just now on uc I'd be lost without that amount, but I couldn't ask my partner to suddenly contribute that amount, can anyone shed any light?

It's not really a lot once you take housing into account. My rent is £800. And that's about £200 cheaper than most 2 bed places here.

Surely someone would only move in with their partner and children if they were properly committed to each other and ready to blend their lives. To me, this includes making sure the children aren't any worse off financially and otherwise than they were before the new partner moved in.

It's a lot to ask of any new partner (though really they shouldn't be new any more at the point of moving in) and a great responsibility. It takes a special kind of man, a selfless and mature one, to do this but equally women shouldn't let non-special men be part of their DCs lives.

I was a single parent with 2 DC who worked part-time and received tax credits when I met DH. He was/is a very high earner so any tax credits, child benefit etc stopped when he moved in. We discussed finances before living together and we always knew it was only going to be viable if he made up the money I lost from tax credits etc. It wasn't a problem for him and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Over time he has also taken on half of the actual parenting. We have grown into an actual family where I cannot imagine that DH would treat the DC any different/better if they were biologically his.

Maybe I'm lucky. I like to think that I just went into dating as a single parent with my eyes wide open and wasn't willing to accept any selfish and immature men simply to be in a relationship.

If he moves in your UC would definitely be affected and you'd be breaking the law to not inform the authorities. The shortfall may be made up by his contribution to your household, he's saving rent etc by moving in. Unless he's expecting a free ride? Don't be tempted to try to pull a fast one, nosy neighbours will be on the report-a-benefit-cheat before the month is out. If it's a serious relationship he should be insisting on paying his way.

Basically benefits are there for the people that need them most. UC specifically is a means-tested benefit which means all household income needs to be taken into account as it could impact your benefit entitlement. It’s not fair on others if you live with a partner or have undeclared capital etc but still receive the full means-tested allowance. By law, his income needs to be taken into account and therefore you both would be expected to use his income to support your household

if this is a step too far for your relationship, it’s probably too early to think about living together

You have misunderstood.

As a single claimant, you’re only entitled to the standard allowance of:

Single and under 25 £265.31
Single and 25 or over £334.91

Legally when you live with a partner you have to declare it, which changes your claim to a joint claim and gives you a different standard allowance:

In a couple and you’re both under 25 £416.45 (for you both)
In a couple and either of you are 25 or over £525.72 (for you both)

The other elements won’t change however for every £1 either of you earn, your universal credit is reduced by 55p so therefore your entire award may reduce including the children element. Having children on your claim may mean your earning threshold is higher though - read www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-your-earnings-affect-your-payments

Did I ever suggest it was up to the government? and get real, there is a world of difference between surviving as a couple with no income and surviving alone with children with no income. I’m sorry you struggled as a young unemployed couple but it is simply so not the same.

That's not a lot, depending if OP works and how many children she has. I work 28 hours a week and get £430pm benefits and that doesn't include housing as I have a mortgage. That's with 1 child, I'd get more if I had 2 children and worked less hours.

£2000 net is roughly £30k per annum which is around the average U.K. salary. So no, it’s not someone who’s “loaded” !

I’m sorry OP that you seem to have had a few hostile responses on your thread, there’s no need for that.

My children and I moved in with my partner a few years ago and before we merged households we had a frank and full discussion about everything- finances, division of labour, childcare. He’s one of the good ones so it wasn’t awkward and he fully took on joint responsibility of my children. He takes care of my youngest so I can go to work for example, as paid childcare isn’t an option due to my child’s additional needs. We are a team and it works for us. I don’t think we’ve ever fallen out about finances.

In my experience, if you don’t feel you can have a conversation because it’s awkward or you’re scared of the response you’ll get don’t live with the man. I know you’re talking hypothetical right now I mean for the future. I split with my kids’ dad more than once when they were tiny and when I did get back with him and we lived together he completely screwed me over, and in turn our shared children. I would never let someone do that to us again. All bills get divided so no one is losing out by living together or it just doesn’t happen, is my advice in short.

If he's not prepared to pay his way (making up the shortfall) and you are having conversations along the lines of why should I pay for... Do not have him move in.

Why not though? He just chooses not to.

£2000 net is roughly £30k per annum which is around the average U.K. salary. So no, it’s not someone who’s “loaded” !

It depends on your perspective and experience. Objectively they might not be "loaded" but for people who have only ever earned 16-21k or people who are solely on benefits, it will subjectively seem like a fair amount of money. Most of my friends earn less than that.

Your best bet would be to do a calculator with the new information and go from there x

Presumably those people weren’t trying to pay for FT childcare (over £1k a month), alongside everything else.

Someone on £40k won’t get UC but might have almost nothing left after childcare and basic bills. Yet people will insist they’re ‘rich’. Even though they might have less disposable income than they would if they decided not to work and just claim UC.

Full time childcare doesn't last forever though. 30 free hours kicks in when the child turns 3.

So?

It’s not ok to imagine that the single mother of a one year old who earns £40k in a FT job is ‘loaded’. Sure, she’s made a choice that means she is likely to be in a better position in future. But the envy driven narrative that anyone who earns more than you is ‘loaded’ is unfair.

Not when they're one, no, but when they're older it becomes easier. Someone in my situation (single mum of an 8 year old) earning 40k would be significantly better off than me on minumum wage and benefit top ups, childcare costs drop a lot.

If you are losing £800 for your DP to move in, then he should be contributing at least £800 per month to the enlarged household. You shouldn't be worse off due to him.

No-one should be moving in with you and your kids unless the kids are 100% on board with it and he is fully committed to forming a family, that includes financially and also supporting each other to earn as any other household would. Benefits are only there for when a household needs help.

Having a committed relationship with a parent comes with additional responsibilities. Have the difficult conversations now.