Claiming benefits as a single person

[TechGinny]

But having someone live with you during lockdown... does anyone know whether people can still get in trouble for this in the current situation?

This is the situation I would have been in if my boyfriend and I had made the decision that he would stay with me for the duration of the lockdown, and I'm guessing it's true for a great many people right now?

As it stands, he's still at home and we haven't seen each other since the Saturday before lockdown started (which is really shit, but so much is for so many people at the moment), but if he was here he'd still be paying all his usual outgoings on his place, I also would be for mine, but really I'd have to declare to council tax and tax credits that I was no longer living alone. That, or risk being fined/made to pay money back.

Yes, I think you would have to declare that he was living with you, in case you got caught out. It only takes one call to the DWP and they can go back several years and claim the money back off you.

If I’ve learnt anything over the past week, then there are a lot of people (on mumsnet at least) who really enjoy snitching.

You're absolutely right there, @LouQoo, there are so many people who get a kick out of it.

What a testing time this is, for everyone.

Does he pay council tax at his own place?

He does, yeah, @Ontheboardwalk. We live completely separately, I have my own house with the kids. He stays over once or twice a week usually.

It is not snitching. This is not a playground. It's reporting a crime.

Bottom line is if you were living with a partner your entitled to a different amount in benefits than if you're living alone.

I don't get rubbed the wrong way about a lot of things, but declaring the wrong information to get more benefits than entitled to is one of them. We lose hundreds of thousands every week through people declaring the wrong details, so please don't make light of it.

With my kids, I mean - he's not their dad.

@ToCaden, I totally agree with you in normal circumstances - I can't stand benefit fraud and I've always done everything by the book. Hence why I don't have my boyfriend staying with me during lockdown.

My question is whether allowances would be made/be likely to be made in these extenuating circumstances of lockdown.

As for your situation. There might be some scope for paying the rent of a second house. I know there are currently exceptions such as in the case of a domestically abused person fleeing their home. In that situation I know UC would usually pay both while the situation was being sorted.

I don't know if they've worked in any similar exceptions for the covid virus. Or whether it would apply to the benefits you / he are on. It may be worth querying.

If he lives completely separately normally and pays his own council tax and bills I can’t see how this should impact you

Are you definitely only on tax credits (working or children?) or are you on universal credit? May be able to try to get an answer about UC, but may not be able to help much with other benefits.

Thanks both of you. Yes, I'm currently on working and child tax credits - I haven't been moved on to UC yet, thankfully.