LIVING TOGETHER ???

[schiehallion]

Hi All
My mate has recently met a woman who is on housing benefit and the allowance you get when you can only work part time due to young children. He owns his own home is employed and pays council tax. How many nights a month can he stay with his girlfriend without her benefit being effected.
Thanks

[Kassee]

I think its three or four nights a week

[sara3]

it doesn't work like that. there are no "2 nights is okay, but 3 isn't" rules.

how many nights does he want to stay, and why not full time? wouldn't it be easier if she moved in with him?

[schiehallion]

He lives some distance away and she does not wish to uproot her kids from their present school

[schiehallion]

He would love to stay there 2 weeks out of every month but i i told him that would probally mean they were living together even though he had his own home elswhere, this is in scotland by the way

[sara3]

so he wants to stay as much as he can, but not enough to get her off tax payers money?

[redcrx]

must be Love, Sara :)

[Kassee]

I think the rules are you are entitled to have someone stay-over at your house from time to time, but not living there permanently. So someone staying a few nights a week is OK cos they are obviously living elsewhere.

[bednobs]

there is nothing to stop hing ringing the council/benefits people and simply asking them - no need to give names. Here (berkshire) its "regularly" so one night a week, if its regular would affect the benefits. However all it means is that the HB is reduced, and not by a huge amount

[redcrx]

if that was the case, kassee, then Im sure we'd have plenty of people using benefits to live in 2 homes.

I could perhaps ask my fella to go and get a house up near the coast or something and we could just use it at weekends :)

quit our jobs and we can get 2 houses, 2 lots of benefits and everyones happy :)

[redcrx]

the best way to find out is to call the benefit office and ask. That way they will know its done properly and above board

[Kassee]

The boyfriend isn't on benefits !

[Mick-Talbot]

he has a long way to travel to work then, when he stays over for the 2 week out of the month.

[redcrx]

yes but if youre saying that it wont affect the other persons benefits then what is to stop 2 people on benefits having 2 houses between them?

[Kassee]

at what point does a boyfriend become a committed relationship ?

[sara3]

red.. generally he moves in, but will say he's living at his mum's ;o)

[Mick-Talbot]

can i take it he doesn't work schiehallion?

[schiehallion]

He does work and owns his own home, he doesnt want to get her into any bother by being at her home too much. pity though they made a good couple i guess these long distance relationships are besett with problems

[joko]

he's her boyfriend, not guardian or carer...why should he suddenly be expected to change his life to get her off benefits?

[themas]

This might help:-

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch11.pdf

It is from the DWP guide for decision makers. Clearly this is a complex area & not just a matter of how many nights a week/month he stays with her.