Closed petition Benefit calculations should not include the partner if applicant is unmarried.

Closed on 26 September 2021

An unmarried person should be treated as an individual and the income/savings of their partner should not impact their right for independence/govt support. This archaic approach of financial dependence on unmarried people must be reviewed.

It is unfair and unreasonable to expect the partner to fully support the individual in an unmarried relationship, the partner could already have their own debt or commitments which means they are unable to provide the support expected.
The individual would also lose any independence, and in many cases it has led to the breakdown of relationships and created housing issues because there is no other choice, and neither one can then afford to live in the property.