Universal credit help

[newbieeee]

I have a question, me and bf are looking to live together.

I have a part time job which is topped up by universal cred.

He also has a child. His earnings are over the UC limit, but we are not linking finances in any way.

We will each be paying the same as what we pay now towards bills etc, so does this mean that his finances will cancel out my UC?

Its just weird that i will be worse off just because i want to live with him, but he will not be helping me financially because: well why should he?!

Maybe i dont understand it properly?

If you live together as a couple you can only have a joint UC claim based on your combined income.

@LangClegsInSpace so basically i will be worse off? As his income cancels it out

Presumably your bills will decrease. That's why people live in flat shares as it's cheaper than running a household on one income.

You are right to get all of this on the table now and talk about it before you move in together.

Your Uc claim would become a joint one so you would get joint standard element instead of single. If his child is going to live with you then you would also get a child element on the claim and that would give you a work allowance on your claim meaning a certain amount of earnings are disregarded before earnings reduce your total UC. If the child is not living with you then you won't get that work allowance. With no children on the claim and two wages coming in it's unlikley you'd get any UC but not impossible if your rent is high.

[quote newbieeee]@LangClegsInSpace so basically i will be worse off? As his income cancels it out[/quote]
You won't be worse off, if living together the DWP will treat you as a couple for benefit purposes and unfortunately that involves the idea that income and finances are shared.

Yes your uc will be affected as you will be living together sharing bills. Although im not sure on your circumstances how it will change by how much. Im living with my partner and know that if i claim it will be joint with his income too.

"Its just weird that i will be worse off just because i want to live with him, but he will not be helping me financially because: well why should he?!"

Well, why should the state subsidise you because your partner is not willing to make a fair contribution to household finances?

If you are committed enough to move in together then you have to have an adult conversation about finances and be willing to work out a fair contribution to bills which is generally in proportion to income.

You should also consider housing rights, if one person is on the deeds/mortgage or tenancy agreement and the other isn't.

@AnotherEmma

"Its just weird that i will be worse off just because i want to live with him, but he will not be helping me financially because: well why should he?!"

Well, why should the state subsidise you because your partner is not willing to make a fair contribution to household finances?

If you are committed enough to move in together then you have to have an adult conversation about finances and be willing to work out a fair contribution to bills which is generally in proportion to income.

You should also consider housing rights, if one person is on the deeds/mortgage or tenancy agreement and the other isn't.

Exactly this- it cannot be considered weird that the state won't pay you extra money when it considers between you have what they deem enough to live on as a couple. If you want to keep your UC, then don't move him in, it's a s simple as that.

@Babyroobs @AnotherEmma Well im currently subsidised now and it will be no different when i move in with him finances wise. He will not be financially benefitting from me moving in with him so im not trying to scam "extra money" out of the state.

Im just wondering why its assumed that finances should be joined when moving in. We are still separate people.

If my outgoings were going to reduce then fine id get it. I just dont see why he should cover the shortfall or i should be worse off.

Rent £600

If you live alone, you're liable for £600.
If you live with your partner, you're liable for £300.

Your expenses reduce by £300.

Same for electric, Sky, water etc.

[quote newbieeee]**@Babyroobs* @AnotherEmma* Well im currently subsidised now and it will be no different when i move in with him finances wise. He will not be financially benefitting from me moving in with him so im not trying to scam "extra money" out of the state.

Im just wondering why its assumed that finances should be joined when moving in. We are still separate people.

If my outgoings were going to reduce then fine id get it. I just dont see why he should cover the shortfall or i should be worse off. [/quote]
Because the extra help is there for people who have no other help and don't have enough to live off. If you have a partner living with you it's considered that all finances are joint and shared. If you want to live in the same house as lodgers, keep everything separate and have your own bedrooms and each be liable for half of a joint tenancy then that would be the way to keep your UC. However it may be hard to prove.

Because otherwise every couple could do this - one partner could be earning tons and have loads of assets, the other could just work PT, or not at all if children young enough, and still claim benefits.

I kind of see your point in a way - the benefit system is all or nothing when it considers whether you are single or in a couple. This means that people on benefits don't have the option of just dipping their toe in the water - moving in together but keeping finances separate for a while in case it doesn't work out. The risk is that people, generally women, get financially trapped in bad relationships because they have had to become dependent on a man instead of the state, before they even know whether living together will work out.

Your contribution should be proportionate to your income. Also, as others point out, shared bills are more economical than running two households.

You can use a benefit calculator to work out whether you're likely to be entitled to any UC as a couple.

benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

If my outgoings were going to reduce then fine id get it. I just dont see why he should cover the shortfall or i should be worse off

If you are sharing bills instead of paying them alone, your outgoings will reduce, won't they? If not, how come?

Sorry OP but you aren’t making sense, rather than pay for two homes you pay for one, rather than you each pay for a light in the lounge you pay for one, rather than pay to heat two radiators you pay for one .....living together is pulling resources

[quote LangClegsInSpace]Because otherwise every couple could do this - one partner could be earning tons and have loads of assets, the other could just work PT, or not at all if children young enough, and still claim benefits.

I kind of see your point in a way - the benefit system is all or nothing when it considers whether you are single or in a couple. This means that people on benefits don't have the option of just dipping their toe in the water - moving in together but keeping finances separate for a while in case it doesn't work out. The risk is that people, generally women, get financially trapped in bad relationships because they have had to become dependent on a man instead of the state, before they even know whether living together will work out.

Your contribution should be proportionate to your income. Also, as others point out, shared bills are more economical than running two households.

You can use a benefit calculator to work out whether you're likely to be entitled to any UC as a couple.

benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou[/quote]
Can you imagine the benefits bill if every part time working parent or stay at home parent in a partnership demanded they be topped up by UC as they want to be financially independent ? The country would be bankrupt.

Its just weird that i will be worse off just because i want to live with him, but he will not be helping me financially because: well why should he?!

Because you will be living together as a couple. So why shouldn’t he?

Op if you are serious enough to move in with a man then he absolutely should be helping you financially by helping pay the bills. Thats why your uc will change and rightly so.

@LangClegsInSpace actually that makes total sense!

100% that would be making it sooo easy for people.

Fair enough i get it now, its just because our situation is diff in that were still remaining fully financially separate.

Oh, long story but were both paying a bit less than now compared to living together which makes it the same amount to now hence no change in expenses.

Thanks for input its clear now