A question about Benefits if I have a DH but not living together?

[chloeET]

Me and DH had a trial seperation where he lived with his Mum and I was claiming income support and housing benefit etc. However we are no "back together" but looking into our living options as we can't afford to live in this area anymore.

One option we are looking at, is me moving to the area we want to move to, which is an hour or so away, and him live with his Mum and just come and see us at weekends.

Would I still be able to claim benefits for just me and the kids? Or would he still count on the money front because we are still together? He will be paying his way at his Mums, but more stuff like buying them all food shopping rather than a set rent iyswim?

Hope that doesn't sound like a bad question to ask, we are just looking at all options. We also have debt to clear which is why we need to rent somewhere very very cheap so we can start getting on top of things.

Sorry meant to say, the reason he would still be living at his Mums is because of work - he wouldn't earn enough out of london to pay for us all. So if he stayed with his Mum he could still commute to London and earn a semi decent wage.

Grey area. I think you'd be on dodgy ground. More from someone reporting you than anything.

on one hand, you're not living together, on the other you are together, back as a family. He might be staying somewhere else, but is that any different than someone who works away and comes back at weekends? They can't claim as single parent.

Would he be contributing to the household bills?

It leaves you quite vulnerable, imo, especially if someone decided to report you. I think they'd probably decide you were a family.

Thanks.

He wouldn't be contributing to household bills, just trying to clear our debt to everybody with his wages, untill we can afford for him to move up to the village with us iyswim?

Its difficult, cause if we weren't married but doing the same thing, we wouldn't be expected to not claim as he would just be a boyfriend who stays round at weekends.

Don't want to do anything dodgy though, definatly not benefit fraud! Just want to be able to do the food shopping and not worry if I have enough money to feed us all . At the moment I keep having to borrow money and get new credit cards, which I hate doing - but we need to eat!

But by clearing your debt he is contributing to the household bills, as your debt is a household expense. I think it would be very dodgy to do this - he is your DH and you are a family. He is just working away from home during the week as heqet says. Morally I think it's a bit dodgy, but that's your choice, but if anyone reported you then you could also be in real trouble.

If things are so bad that you can't afford to eat without putting it on credit cards, then you must be entitled to some sort of tax credits or support anyway surely. Also, has your DH spoken with the creditors to arrange a beneficial payment scheme so you aren't so completely broke each month - perhaps a token amount per month until you're on a slightly more even keel.

Are you properly back together or seeing each other to see how it goes, don't know if that makes any difference just wondering because if you are making steps to see if you can live together again as a family ie working out your problems is that seen as being back together?

If you are a couple (and your post implies you are actually together and not separated) then if he stays at another address to get to work easier you will still be counted as living together. The fact he comes back at the weekends shows that you are in a relationship.

Lots of jobs keep partners away from home for work yet it doesnt mean that they can all claim as single parents.

The benefits people would definately see you as being a couple.

If he stayed with you at the weekend and you went out as a family, shopping etc, and were in fact in a relationship, and claiming IS then yes they would say it was benefit fraud.

debts are familyi expenditure - so he would be contributing to the household bills.

can he not pay you maintenence instead....up to you wether you spend it on bills then??

Thank you for all the responces, looks like thats not really an option then.

Its not so much the budgetting/debt repayments, its just simply that we don't have enough money each month to cover bills etc let alone pay off re-payments.

Oh well. Will sort something out.

Also if you were talking on the phone to the benefits people the fact that you say we all the time instead of me speaks volumes such as

"One option we are looking at, is me moving to the area we want to move to"

Sorry.

Great idea! We'd love to get the state to support me and the kids entirely whilst DH uses his joke of an income to pay off the debt we racked up with tax credits screwed us over and when we moved into this dump and had to buy stuff like a cooker and washing machine.

I'll just get him to move in with a mate during the week and only stay with us at weekends.

Does that sound dodgy?

Because that's exactly how it's going to sound to a fraud investigator or magistrate.