tenancy

[rosgrech]

I am a Brit National, my civil partner is Australian on a FLR(M) visa with the usual restriction of No Recourse to Public Funds.

I have been browsing the forum for information about claiming benefits and have established that I can apply for benefits in my own right provided I ensure that I don't get extra for my partner. Fair enough - as a poor old pensioner I should be able to get a little!


What we suddenly thought of - I rent supported housing from the local authority with the tenancy (at the moment) being only in my name. However we were planning to add my partner's name on the tenancy next month (she's been here a year) and now wonder if this constitutes "an allocation of local authority housing"?

Your experiences, thoughts and ideas will be appreciated. I want to provide security for her should anything happen to me.

Ros

[jei2]

As a person with limited leave your partner would normally come under those excluded from being listed as a joint tenant.

Bear in mind also that were she to slip through the net and be put on the list she would find herself equally liable for paying the rent!

And for her pains it might also impact on her settlement application.

Is there any reason why you can't wait until she is elgible for settlement?

[jei2]

Sorry rosgrech,

Must get my eyes checked.

If you're worried about passing on, there is a provision in the rules for bereaved partners of British Citizens to apply for settlement. There's no qualifying period.

This would make the issue of putting your partner on the tenancy agreement a moot point since she would then fall into an accepted category for having recourse to public funds.

[rosgrech]

Thanks - that's exactly what we were thinking and we certainly don't want to rock the boat with the next step of her settlement visa - don't want her shipped back to Oz!