Lodger / boyfriend moving in, universal credit

[Shannab]

My friend says she is thinking of letting her boyfriend move in with her but he will be moving in as a lodger, paying her rent to occupy a separate room in her house, rather than a live in partner who contributes equally to the household expenses. She says this way as he is a lodger, and not a partner, her UC will not be affected as they have the rent-a-room scheme where UC remains unaffected by a lodgers income. So basically her boyfriend is her lodger. Do many people do this?

She will get caught out.

How?

Come on it is bound to come out he's her boyfriend.

He’s her boyfriend but he’s going to rent the spare room in her house. Anyone can be a lodger

If it comes out they’ve a couple she will get done for fraud and risks criminal conviction as well as having to pay back uc.

And is his rent being paid by UC, or has he got a job?

I am amazed that net income from a lodger would not affect UC.

Is he really going to be sleeping in the spare room?
I doubt it.
This is fraud - and I expect your friend knows that.

Surely income from a lodger would still affect UC?

I do know a few people who have done this. All have got away with it until they legitimised the relationship, but it's a big risk to take.

Ignore!
www.gov.uk/government/publications/rent-a-room-for-traders-hs223-self-assessment-helpsheet/hs223-rent-a-room-scheme-2024

She’d have to be really stupid to believe she’d get away with it. Especially if she’s telling friends about her plans. A local couple got sent to prison for this, and had to repay over £100K. DWP got evidence that they were a couple from holidays they’d taken together, social media, the children’s school confirmed that he’d pick them up from school, etc. Your friend will be looking over her shoulder every time they leave the house together.

It's a loophole , I'm surprised more people don't do it to be honest.

UC can't possibly know about your friends sex life so she's quite safe even if someone dobs her in. I mean, what are UC gonna say - "does your lodger put his Willy in you"?

The only thing I'd say is for her to make sure he pays officially through bank transfer.

She’s not hiding that they’re a couple. She is openly in a relationship with him. She will be declaring that her boyfriend is a lodger. She will be declaring that they won’t pool finances, they keep their finances separate as friends do, so she isn’t hiding any of this from DWP. I’m just wondering why more people don’t do this particularly when the “boyfriend” fails to share household expenses equally

Yes she is saying he will set up monthly direct debit with references along the lines of “lodger rent / bills” or something. And she will show this to DWP or whoever asks for the information. And he’ll sign a tenancy agreement so it’s all meeting the criteria for a lodger under the rent a room scheme so won’t affect her UC. It is nothing she is trying to “get away with” as it will all be declared which is why I wondered if anyone else is doing this

This is not how UC works. If she says that he is her boyfriend then she will have to add him onto her claim as a partner

Ha - it'll all go tits up for her

Because being blunt, if they’re having sex they’ll be seen as ‘living together as if they are married’. Plenty of married couples don’t contribute equally to the household, or share a bedroom.

She is a fool

She will get caught out at some point

You're asking for a friend? Then tell her not to risk it.

No man is worth this.

Take it from an old gimmer 😅

She needs to have a read up of how DWP decide whether they are a couple !

If they're a couple, he will be treated as her partner and they will have a joint claim. If she declares him as a lodger and not a partner, that's fraud. Not a loophole.

This would make him an official cocklodger presumably? 🤣

Has she already spoken to UC and told them her whole plan? And they’ve said it’s all fine? Because that’s a mistake. It isn’t fine; this is a joint claim. She’ll be made to change her claim. If she decides to lie and just say he is a random guy lodging in her home and she gets caught then she is fucked; not him. They don’t come after him and he will face no consequences. She will be the one committing fraud, and she will be the once punished for it.

It isn’t a loophole. It’s fraud. If she tells them the truth then they’ll move her to a joint claim.