Unemployed and becoming a couple with housemate

Jayo2011

Hi,
I have been living in rented accommodation for a number of years now and am currently on Jobseekers Allowance (Disability Allowance pending). Recently I started a relationship with one of my housemates and we are now a couple. She is on BTEA and is a full time student.

Previous to this we had been living in same house for a long time but were NOT a couple.

If we go to the Social Welfare Office and inform them we are now living as a couple, are they going to accuse us of being a couple for the amount of time we have been living under the same roof (even though we weren't) and try extorting money from us or will we be able to continue our claim adjusted to what a couple is allowed to claim?

We are both law abiding responsible citizens and want to be clean about our situation even though we are fully aware that it will have negative consequences for us financially.

Neither of us are currently claiming Rent Allowance. Is it worth while applying for this? (some people have told me its more trouble than its worth and is why I haven't applied up til now).

Please don't reply to this unless you know for sure what you say is true. I need facts not hearsay. Also if you are one of those narrow minded people who likes to have a rant at people who have the misfortune of being out of work because of their circumstance and the current economic climate, please don't reply. I'm not interested in your opinions. In case you're wondering, I would be still working given the opportunity, as would my partner (as mentioned previously, she is in full time education). We are not dole heads.

How would this affect my partners BTEA. She tells me it took over 6 months for her to have her BTEA application processed. If she now tells them that we are now a couple, are they going to cut her off all entitlements until they pull their fingers out and process the claim, or will it be an automatic transition? She is a final years student with major exams pending in May and doesn't have time to be queuing up at community welfare offices explaining her situation day after day jumping through hoops filling out forms, forms that contain useless information, information they already have. Will I be able to give them the necessary information, or will she have to be there every step of the way?

If she has to do a series of interviews and jump through hoops getting information for them we would have no option but to inform the authorities at a later date after her exams.

I would appreciate any useful information from anyone with accurate knowledge or anybody who has found themselves in a similar situation and the outcome they experienced.

Thank you in advance

Jayo

Sue Ellen

As you are being honest about you now being in a co-hab situation there should be no retribution causing you to have an overpayment.
As she is on BTEA there is no change to your rates. Once she comes off BTEA and you are both on Jobseekers you will have a max pay between you with each of you receiving half if your max allowance, that is €312.80 (I am assuming you are both entitled to full rate currently of €188).
If you are approved for DA again there is no max pay between JA & DA so you would each receive €188.
You should apply for rent allowance, it might be a bit of work but any income will be of benefit.