I’m on LCWRA and partner is on UC and works 16 hours. How will moving in together affect us?

BigTomato

Currently I’m on UC with full LCWRA element and housing benefit. 
My partner is employed but works only 16 hours a week. They also claim UC.
Our claims are currently separate.
I am 28 and they are 23.

We have been considering looking into finding somewhere to live together as a couple.
I’ve used some benefit calculators and it seems like even with the reductions from my partners wages I would actually be earning slightly more if we moved into the area we’re looking at - which to me seems too good to be true.
Currently we both live in shared accommodation bedsits so the LHA rate is quite limiting for Housing Benefit, and I’m aware that moving into an actual house would come with some significant extra bills.

As it is now with my UC, LCWRA and Housing Benefit I receive £1020 a month.
My partner earns around £850.

Can anyone tell me how feasible this would be? Is anyone else in a similar situation?
Have I calculated my benefits wrong and would claiming together as a couple and moving in together drastically lower the amount we would receive?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

chiarieds

Hi @BigTomato - & welcome to the community. If you decide to live together, you need to inform UC of your change of circumstance, you'll then be sent a linking code to join your claims together. So long as your joint monies, any savings, etc. are less than £16k then you'll still get UC (over £6k & UC will be reduced).

Looking at your partner's income, for every £ over the work allowance (which will be £379 if you get help with your housing costs) 55p is deducted from your joint UC. Using £850 a month as an example, deducting £379 = £471 x .55 = £259.05 which would be deducted from your UC. 

You may have tried it previously, but this is a good calculator to work out any variables: https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/survey/1/790a3061-b24a-48ab-b4cc-5a0749fbe69

Do you claim PIP/ADP?

BigTomato

Thank you for the reply.

I don’t currently claim PIP/ADP, although my partner may try to claim PIP soon.

I used the benefit calculator before, and it told me I would be entitled to £1030 after deductions, being slightly more than what I currently receive. 

I did input the information as it would be hypothetically if me and my partner lived in a building in an area with a different LHA rate, which is significantly higher than what I currently receive so that probably accounts for a lot of it.

As it is now I receive £260 Housing Benefit since I live alone in a shared accommodation building, and the house me and my partner are looking to rent would allow me £460. To me that seems to make up a chunk of the deductions that would be made due to my partners wages.

I’m suppose what I’m ultimately asking is have I got all the information right? I’m extremely worried I’ve overlooked something or misunderstood and might end up putting us in a perilous position financially if we go ahead applying to rent.

chiarieds

Yes, that's all you can do by checking various amounts for your partners wage, & consider the different LHA amount when you use a calculator. Did you remember to add your LCWRA element into the calculator & add your partner's wage back in?

BigTomato

I chose yes when it asked me if I receive UC, and then later included that I have a current claim of LCWRA when asked. 
I included my partners wages when initially asked (when it asked their age and hours).

Was this the right way to use the calculator?

chiarieds

I freely admit I haven't used the calculator! It sounds like you've used it correctly; I just remember another member here saying to include the LCWRA element, & realised I hadn't mentioned that. Calculators are only as good as the info put into them, & I just wanted to ensure you'd remembered everything.