BENEFITS EXPERT: How will it affect my benefits if my partner was to move in?

Q. I am 67 years of age and receive my State Pension with a top up of Guaranteed Pension Credit as well as PIP for care. I rent my property and currently receive full council tax reduction and housing benefit.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Feb 2022, 00:00 BST
You would need to report to the DWP if you commence cohabitation and this will lead to a revision of your current benefits.You would need to report to the DWP if you commence cohabitation and this will lead to a revision of your current benefits.
You would need to report to the DWP if you commence cohabitation and this will lead to a revision of your current benefits.

My partner is considering moving in with me but she is 63 and currently gets ESA as well as PIP. I have been told that if she were to move in with me all my benefits would end and I may have to claim Universal Credit, is this correct or am I ok because I currently get Pension Credit?

A. You would need to report to the DWP if you commence cohabitation and this will lead to a revision of your current benefits. As you are a mixed aged couple for benefit purposes (i.e. one person is of pension age and the other is below pension age) then you will end up having to end you current Pension Credit Claim and you will also have your housing benefit claim terminated. Your PIP will remain in payment as will your partners PIP. You would then have to submit a joint claim for Universal Credit for help towards living and your rental costs. The calculation for your living costs on Universal Credit differs from that of Pension Credit so it is likely that you will be worse off financially if you claim as a couple on Universal Credit. You did not state if your partner is receiving Income Based or Contribution Based ESA and this will have a bearing on the calculation of Universal Credit. Depending on your local authority area you may also find you may lose full support for council tax as most local authorities gave a greater allowance to pensioners than people of working age, so as a mixed aged couple this may reduce the amount of help you get. In this situation I would advise you seek advice and have a benefit check carried out to see what the position would be if you did decide to cohabit. You should both also bear in mind other help you may currently get that may be lost if you do live together, for example free dental care, eye tests, etc.

Related topics:Universal Credit