Benefits and the Civil Partnership Act
The Civil Partnership Act came into force on December 5, 2005. If you form a civil partnership or even live as a couple without a formal partnership your benefits could be affected.
For DWP benefits such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, this means that same sex couples who have formed a civil partnership or who are living together as if they were civil partners will be treated in the same way as opposite sex couples who are married or living together as husband and wife.
This will mean that some people who previously claimed benefits as a single person will have to re-claim as part of a couple.
Failure to tell us that you are forming a civil partnership or are living together as civil partners could mean that your Housing/Council Tax Benefit is overpaid and you may be asked to repay it.
If you have formed a civil partnership or living with someone as if you were civil partners click here to find out how to contact us.
For more information about how this could affect your benefits see the DWP leaflet Getting it right.
For more detailed information about civil partnerships see the Women and Equality Unit.
