Advice. What will happen if I move in with my partner?

smudge9000

Hi just looking for abit of advice I'm looking at moving in with my partner he gets esa and in the support group he does have a few health conditions so I do most things when I visit him 

How will it work if I do move in I don't claim any benefits or work at the minute will I get put on his claim don't no how it works 

smudge9000

Can someone advise 

poppy123456

Which ESA is he claiming is it New style ESA or Income Related? Does he claim any other benefits at all?

smudge9000

No doesn't get any other benefits and think it's income related all I know he is in the support group 

poppy123456

Does he rent or own his own home? May i ask how you support yourself if you don't work or claim any benefits?

He will need to report the changes to ESA that you're now living with him. They will reassess his claim and take your circumstances into consideration. If you have savings/capital of more than £16,000 you'll then both be excluded from claiming any means tested benefits.

smudge9000

No don't have any savings family are supporting Me at the moment 

Will it trigger a uc claim 

poppy123456

A partner moving in, in these circumstances won't trigger a move to UC. If you need to claim help with any rent then you will need to claim UC, this will then end and Income Related ESA that your partner is claiming after 2 weeks. (unless you're living in either supported or temporary housing).

If you're partner is in the Support Group for ESA then UC with LCWRA element pays more. You should use a benefits calculator.

smudge9000

Can I get the carers if he gets lcwra and he is in council property 

poppy123456

smudge9000 said:

Can I get the carers if he gets lcwra

No. He needs to be claiming either Mid/high rate care DLA or PIP daily living.

smudge9000 said:

he is in council property 

So does he claim for help with any rent? When i asked earlier if he claims any other benefits you said no.

If he claims single person discount for council tax and/or council tax reduction then he will need to report the changes to his local Authority.

smudge9000

No he will contact authority was just wanting advice with me not getting any benefits will I Just go on his claim I am looking for work 

poppy123456

If he's not claiming for help with the rent then how does he pay it?

He will need to do as i advised here.

poppy123456 said:

He will need to report the changes to ESA that you're now living with him. They will reassess his claim and take your circumstances into consideration.

He will then receive a small amount of extra money for you.

If you do start working he will need to report the changes to ESA. £20 of any earnings you receive will be ignored. After that then Income Related ESA will be reduced £1 for £1. If you work more than 24 hours then any Income Related ESA he's claiming will end. Contributions based ESA is not affected by any earnings.

If you start work it would be worth using a benefits calculator to check entitlement to UC.

smudge9000

He does get help with rent and gets 25% council tax reduction 

poppy123456

smudge9000 said:

He does get help with rent and gets 25% council tax reduction 

I asked if he was claiming any of those and you said no. I can't give advice the correct advice without all the information.

So he will lose the 25% discount for council tax.

If you're successful finding work then you should use a benefits calculator before starting and claim UC if it shows any entitlement.

If he's in the Support Group then he'll be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of his claim. You will also have the work allowance, which means a certain amount of earnings you receive each month will be ignore before the decductions apply. As you're claiming help with the rent then the work allowance will be £344/month. (this increases in April)

smudge9000

So it's best just to put in for uc or can he still add me too his esa 

calcotti

Has he ever looked at whether he might be eligible for PIP?
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

smudge9000

He has been told this before but he has always said he wouldn't get it so he has never put in for it 

poppy123456

smudge9000 said:

So it's best just to put in for uc or can he still add me too his esa 

He can do either. However, if he's in the Support Group then LCWRA pays more.

smudge9000

Okay I will get him to phone esa he is just abit worried if they say uc as how long you have to wait that's all 

calcotti

poppy123456 said:

smudge9000 said:

So it's best just to put in for uc or can he still add me too his esa 

He can do either. However, if he's in the Support Group then LCWRA pays more.

and, as poppy said earlier, if you are intending to work you will definitely be better off if you are on UC because any earnings will have less impact on the benefit payable.

However there are other things to consider. If you are added to his ESA claim you get no NI credits from being his partner but you will have no DWP requirements whereas if you are both on UC you will get NI credits but you (not him) will be required to look for work and will have to provide evidence of this to UC.

smudge9000 said:

.. he does have a few health conditions so I do most things when I visit him 

smudge9000 said:

He has been told this before but he has always said he wouldn't get it so he has never put in for it 

Does he think he wouldn't get it because he doesn't have sufficient difficulties for the activities that are looked at or is it just that he takes a pessimistic outlook. (I'm not trying to probe.) You may wish to look at the information I linked to anyway.

poppy123456

smudge9000 said:

Okay I will get him to phone esa he is just abit worried if they say uc as how long you have to wait that's all 

I wouldn't advise him to ring them if he's asking for advice. They are not benefits advisors. They are call centre staff and have very little benefits knowledge.

As i advised earlier in the thread if he claims UC then any Income Related ESA he claims will continue for 2 weeks. Same applies to housing benefit. Both will then transfer to UC.

He can apply for a advance payment but this will need to be repaid back and his future payments will be reduced.

calcotti

You can use benefits calculator to work out your entitlement 
https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk