Bankruptcy and will moving in together affect my benefits?

[Cathxx]

Could anyone please clarify the implications of my pending bankruptcy on the following scenarios?

 

I am currently unemployed and claiming benefits.

The housing benefit I receive does not cover the rent I pay.

I have been supplementing the shortfall with credit cards and am now facing bankruptcy.

My boyfriend and I would like to move in together (so saving money) and in doing so I would be moving to a different local authority area.

My boyfriend is employed and is currently living with relatives.

Would my bankruptcy effect my future rental situation?

Would if effect my benefits if we move in together?

Would it be best for me to wait until I get a job before we move in together?

The problem with this is I would be applying for jobs that are not local to where I live now and really need to be in the new area for ease of getting to interviews etc.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

 

Cath

[MONX]

Hi Cath

 

Firstly the only way your bancruptcy will affect your benefit is if the bank account you are using for your benefit is frozen in the proceedings, my advice here would be to set up a bog standard debit card account, these are available even if you are bankrupt.

 

 

Depending which benefit you are claiming, your partners earnings usually means that you will have no entitlement to the income based type of benefit (Jobseekers Allowance income based, Income support and ESA income based.) If you are getting Contribution based ESA or Jobseekers Allowance your partners earnings wont affect it, however this is usually only paid for six months at a time.

 

 

As far as moving intogether you need to declare it to both the Jobcentre and Housing Benefits. Unfortunately they will take his earnings into consideration.

 

Hope this helps

[Cathxx]

Thank you. That's not what I wanted to hear but nevertheless something to consider.

 

The bank account my benefit payments go into is just a bog standard debit card account with no fancy stuff like overdrafts or anything - do you think they would freeze that? That would hardly be fair if I have no access to any money whatsoever?

 

I've worked for 20+ years but I've just come out of six months of contribution based JSA, and so would now be on income based. So why if I share the rental with someone else would that affect my benefits? We're not married or anything - can't we just be two friends trying to cut costs by sharing the rent etc?

 

If it's all that bad the only alternative is to move away from where I am on my own to a cheaper place (which would still be more expensive than two of us sharing the rent!)

 

There must be a way around this? I should by all rights get a job soon, which will be great, but in the interim I'm sort of starting to panic a bit!

[MONX]

Unfortunately your marital status is not relevant, if you "share a common household" then you are treated as a couple. This is only different for family members or multiple occupancy (usually students).

 

The benefit system is going through an overhaul at the moment, things are going to be even more draconian because the new government are determined to cut the money paid out in benefit quite substantially, I am sure you have heard about the new rules for child benefit etc.

 

I know it seems unfair that if you were living alone you would get benefit and your rent paid but if you live with your partner he is expected to support you financially. It was the same for my partner and I, i was working full time so when his contribution based jsa exhausted we had to live off my wages which didnt go that far.