Couples who live separately so they get additional financial support

[slimline]

A couple I know got married over a year ago, yet they still live separately. She has two children from a previous relationship and lives in a 3 bed house. He lives in a 2 bed house and has no children. I mention the size of their homes because it’s clear that there is ample space for the entire family to live under one roof. I can’t think of any other reason for their separate living arrangements (considering they have made a commitment to each other through marriage) aside from financial security, as her eldest child has SEN and she doesn’t work. He is working, which I assume could complicate things if he were to move in. Yes, I understand it’s legal, but I can’t help but think they’re taking advantage of the system in some way. This isn't the first time I've heard of couples or families living apart in order to increase their income. I’m ready to be accused of benefit bashing or called all the names under the sun. Don’t care sorry!

More people receive benefits than is paid in income tax.

A meaningless statement.

Probably best ignored if you like facts.

It's not the fact. Google it. More is spent on beneneifts than income tax

And again who’s problem is that
the government for being shit managers of the economy

people don’t make the rules with regards to benefits
the government do
so blame them not the people being given what they are entitled to

not that long ago maybe 20 years you actually had adverts on tv and in the papers telling people to claim tax credits - it’s waiting for you

I can scroll though any bit of social media and see adverts telling people xxxxx millions of benefits is going unclaimed - check if your one of them

as I said the county is rich
just badly managed

Why not read my comment before you replied ?

If it helps I can speak other languages.

Are you sure they aren't making a sacrifice to live apart for the benefit of the SEN child and their stability?

Surely they'd get money by renting out the 2-bed house if they moved in together otherwise.

Are you sure they aren't making a sacrifice to live apart for the benefit of the SEN child and their stability?

I don't think the OP is too fussed about the actualite of the situation.

"They’re milking the system and the taxpayers, but you’ve got to blame the system that allows them to. 🤷‍♀️"

If being married forces people to live together then those people just wouldn't get married.

Maybe the man doesn't want to pay for someone else's kids? Maybe the kids don't want to share their home with an unrelated man, especially with SEN? Maybe the woman likes her own home and would rather not have a man living in it full time. She'd still be claiming if not married, what's the difference? Some people can't live together for whatever reason, but still want marriage for the death benefits and to be official next of kin. If they are claiming disability benefits, they are not means tested anyway eg PIP. I would feel sorry for her having to live separately from her husband, being a single parent, not working, SEN kid, surely that's no-one's dream life.

It’s not necessarily financial reasons no - maybe it is related to the child’s SEN. If the DH is paying rent at another property they are not gaining that much and presumably disability related benefits are not all means tested.

I know a couple like this- they have been found out though somehow and have to pay a big chunk of money back to the council/government.

Unless you are in the USA we don't actually have freedom of speech in the UK.

Just so you know.

They would have had to have done something stupid like having bank accounts loans credit files linked at one address
or posting stuff on FB , applying for passports at the same address or changing driving licence to one address or having that address for work

most couples don’t have a completely separated address and just use a parents place as a base to say that’s where they live but all the online evidence is that they live with there partner / wife / husband

if they have kept everything completely separate there is nothing the dwp can do

Nonsense.
Of course we do.
What we can't do is use speech to incite violence or hatred.

I do the payroll - I’ve had to deduct it from the wages of one of them and then pay significant sums to their council and the gov.uk fines website.

There is no meaningful reform to the welfare state that doesn't involve pensions.

Nor one that doesn't involve cutting support to people's own families as well as the undeserving (other people's) families.

Anyway I'm not going to listen to Reform whining about the cost of things when they gave us the multi billion costs of Brexit.

They must have been living together but not declaring it.
The rules about this are in the Gov website. A couple can live apart and not have a joint claim. You need to be living under the same roof to have a joint claim.

I’m not disputing what your saying
but they would have had to have had a lot of evidence that they were actually living together

and if it’s just that they are paying it back and not been prosecuted in court for fraud it could easily be an overpayment of capital
carers allowance or not updating a claim

def not living together. I don’t know what they were doing but I know they had separate places.

The US doesn't have freedom of speech either.

so if you don’t actually know what the repayment was for just that they have to repay it
it might have just been an overpayment of because they had to much capital at one point
it could be because one of them inherited money and didn’t tell dwp

lots of reasons why people have to pay it back money

So you don't actually know what they were doing wrong then.

Well, no one. However a lot of people like me will say 'yawn' here's someone too busy with their nose in someone else's business who is obviously in need of something extra to occupy their time.

Why is everyone obsessed with facts all of a sudden. When did that start ?

It's also pretty obvious why people do what you're doing. But, hey, carry on.