co habiting / jsa been cut

irishgirl19

Hi all,
I would appreciate all advice on this because I am really stressed out.
My boyfriend was in receipt of BTEA and because his course has ended for the summer he has been placed of JSA.
I earn about 1700 a month at best. Our rent is 500pm , I have a credit union loan of 100, a bank loan, and various other bills. Not to mention our ESB is always a huge amount. The lowest it has ever been was 230 bimonthly.
Basically he was only awareded 75e per week jsa. I know we are together but everything is split 50/50. he was giving me 60 a week for rent and halfing all the bills and giving me 30 for shopping.
I cannot afford to keep him and I don't give him pocket money. he has sent off an appeal letter and hoping for the best, in the mean time he has applied for neumorous jobs.
Im so stressed out because if they don't increase it we are going to have to move back to our parents.
AFAIK if she was cohabiting with a man he would get 250 rent allowance. we wouldn't claim rent allowance but I don't think it is fair that he is means tested on me when I don't pay for him
Can anyone advise me? PS he is 25

ShaShaBear

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Hi all,
I would appreciate all advice on this because I am really stressed out.
My boyfriend was in receipt of BTEA and because his course has ended for the summer he has been placed of JSA.
I earn about 1700 a month at best. Our rent is 500pm , I have a credit union loan of 100, a bank loan, and various other bills. Not to mention our ESB is always a huge amount. The lowest it has ever been was 230 bimonthly.
Basically he was only awareded 75e per week jsa. I know we are together but everything is split 50/50. he was giving me 60 a week for rent and halfing all the bills and giving me 30 for shopping.
I cannot afford to keep him and I don't give him pocket money. he has sent off an appeal letter and hoping for the best, in the mean time he has applied for neumorous jobs.
Im so stressed out because if they don't increase it we are going to have to move back to our parents.
AFAIK if she was cohabiting with a man he would get 250 rent allowance. we wouldn't claim rent allowance but I don't think it is fair that he is means tested on me when I don't pay for him
Can anyone advise me? PS he is 25

If he is sharing a house with you he is means tested on your earnings. You are co-habiting, so your household earnings is what is taken into account. That, unfortunately, is the way things work when two people live together.

irishgirl19

ShaShaBear wrote: »

If he is sharing a house with you he is means tested on your earnings. You are co-habiting, so your household earnings is what is taken into account. That, unfortunately, is the way things work when two people live together.

Its a bit stupid though what if he moved in with someone he wasnt in a relationship with

ShaShaBear

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Its a bit stupid though what if he moved in with someone he wasnt in a relationship with

Then he would be in a house-share and would have to prove as such. The inspector would call out to see his accomodation and probably request a letter from the landlord to state that the two people are sharing the house as separate entities.

At the end of the day, as you are working, your loans and financial situation are none of SW concern or business. The total income of the couple who are cohabiting together in the house is taken into consideration.

irishgirl19

I dont see how its not.its not disposable income. I know other people who got their claims adjusted.
A bit backwards on their part because when he moves out ,if,they are going to be out more money.

ShaShaBear

irishgirl19 wrote: »

I dont see how its not.its not disposable income. I know other people who got their claims adjusted.
A bit backwards on their part because when he moves out ,if,they are going to be out more money.

I imagine you would be more likely to get the claim adjusted if you were married or had children. But as it stands a couple of loans and a high ESB bill is not their problem. He would simply be told that you both need to manage your money together as a couple. The general idea is that a cohabiting couple is pooling their resources and not that one who is earning is refusing to "keep" the other. In this situation it would probably be best that he move out and you live by yourself, or you both find cheaper accomodation together.

irishgirl19

Im in the cheapest we can get for the area were in.he has a job interview tomorrow so hopefully something comes of that if not we will just have to sort something out for the summer
I hate the social welfare.theyre so unrealistic

ShaShaBear

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Im in the cheapest we can get for the area were in.he has a job interview tomorrow so hopefully something comes of that if not we will just have to sort something out for the summer
I hate the social welfare.theyre so unrealistic

They're not really. They could easily have given him nothing based on the fact that you're earning. Without a job you would be down 75 a week as a couple, and that is a lot of money. You can't expect the SW to take your personal financial decisions into account when awarding a payment. You could have a gambling addiction and have loans out to fund your habit, or they could be for expensive clothes, or a fancy car etc. Just because you took the conscious decision to take out loans, doesn't mean they will give your partner more money to help with them. It's unfortunate, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

I'd take a look at getting an electricity meter into your home, or look at where your bill is coming from. That's a bit high for two people.

upinthesky

2 people living in the same house get 188 each say brother and sister but a couple living together get 188 plus 124.80 does not make sense at all to me

ShaShaBear

lisar816 wrote: »

2 people living in the same house get 188 each say brother and sister but a couple living together get 188 plus 124.80 does not make sense at all to me

Because they would not be sharing a room, and are not a couple.

irishgirl19

lisar816 wrote: »

2 people living in the same house get 188 each say brother and sister but a couple living together get 188 plus 124.80 does not make sense at all to me

Yeah its completely backwards

mp22

I think the OP's question has been answered.

Closed