common-law wife

[adnan]

how does your girlfriend becomes your common-law wife. if not living togather at same address?
If I leave towels. sleeping clothes , toothbrush etc at my girlfriend's flat , does this mean we are living together?

[incitatus]

Common Law Wife is now more of an expression than anything else. It offers virtually no legal status, so I wouldn't worry. You are more likely to run foul of the Benefits agency description ... But the old definition was someone with whom you live as if married. So a drawer in the bedroom would probably not count but spending six months arguing about whether you pick up your socks after taking them off or left the loo seat up probably would. Sorry, feeling a bit cynical.

[MistyLady]

A girlfriend doesn't become a common-law wife, probably because - as incitatus points out - there is no such thing. If you are being accused of living together for say benefit purposes, then there are many legal and human right friendly ways they can prove this. Do you spend more than 50% of your time there, do you have mail going there, is your washing flapping about on the line regularly etc etc. Are any of the utility bills in your name, where does your employer say you live? Where is your car registered? All these details could indicate you are living together......sad I know but true.

[wendysavage1]

The worst thing you can do is admit it if you are visited by the DSS,they rely on scare tactics and the fact that people are so terrified that they confess all. That old myth that they spy on whoever comes to your house and time how long they are there for, is just that , a myth.They really don't have the resources to carry out these operations.

[MistyLady]

Caution: They can and they do Wendy. Some areas have more resources than others but the government incentives awarded for cracking fraud are very attractive and more and more resources are becoming available due to this additional funding.

[wendysavage1]

Not in my experience, The goverment are encouraging people to "grass" on each other, in other words to do the government's work for them.

[MistyLady]

Whatever! Personally I think the cost of living is high enough and I dont see why hard working, tax paying individuals should keep picking the tab up for fraudulent claimants.