Moving in as a couple

Hi my name is John ... I'm wondering if I move in with my wife... we are married but have lived apart for years ...I'm on pension credit of £150 or thereabouts and also DLA of £57 my wife is on £73 to live on because she is sick and disabled £32..£57 DLA.. I was told if I move back in I should be the lead claimer and because I'm on pension credit we dont pay bedroom tax ..ata the moment my son and daughter live there and will be moving when I move in .. so there will be two bedrooms spare... How do I go about this to get my best benefits for me and my wife... Many Thanks..

Hi,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

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I am afraid that we cannot offer personal financial benefits advice on the forum, for that you need to obtain face to face advice from your local CAB or the like.

Where to get advice

Or, you could try putting Welfare Rights/Advice with your Town/Postcode into Google.

We do not really advise on Pension Credit at all.

Unless you or your wife are both entitled to Contribution Based (CB) benefits in your own rights, one of you will need to make a claim as a couple.

This why you need face to face advice in the form of a "Benefits Check" before deciding which options to take to see what is best for you personally as a couple.

If you will be receiving Housing Benefit for the property that you are to live in as a couple, if you have two spare bed rooms, you will lose 25% of your rent in HB payments due to the Bedroom Tax and you will have to make that shortfall up.

You can apply for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP's) to cover this shortfall, but is is not a definite that you will receive DHP;s.

Further information on HB and DHP can be found on your LA/Council's Website.

As a rough indication, you could enter you details into one or both of these : Benefits Calculators.

bro58

Hi John,

For a start, just google the Pension Credit Benefit Checker and fill it in. It does ask all the appropriate questions so it should give you a good idea.

Thank you ...I don't really think I explained it right ...