Please Help partner/spouse definition?

Please Help

what is the partner/spouse definition?

My girlfriend was cut down to a 3 day week a couple of weeks ago and is now going to be let go.

We are both low income earners
I earn €400 per week before tax and see earns a little less

we live together in a rented Apartment €700 a month (€350 each) in co. cork
and have been living together less than a year
we are financially independent and split every bill down the middle

all the forms for medical cards and social welfare ask about details of your partner/spouse income etc.

Now I do no think I would be counted as her partner? We do not live together as husband and wife and have no children.

Can anybody advise what we should fill in on these forms? If my girlfriend does not get jobseekers benefit and rent supplement because of my income we won't be able to afford the apartment. as my disposable income after bills each week is about €20

I feel if you look at the criteria on the following link you will find that you will be seen as cohabiting.
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/pages/cohabit.aspx

thank you very much for that. does cohabiting mean that my income will be taken into account on her Social welfare claims? sorry i'm new toall this as i have had work since i was 16 years old now.i'm now 24.

If anyone could advise me further that would be great because we are in big troble if she can not get jobseekers and rent allowance.

as we would be unable to afford the rent and would be homeless!

Yes, you will be assessed as a couple for Social Welfare means-testing purposes.

Your girlfriend may get Jobseeker's Benefit (which isn't means-tested) depending on her PRSI contributions.

There is no guarantee that Rent Supplement will be granted, as it is means-tested and your wages and her Jobseeker's (if any) will be taken into account.

is anyone else irritated that the fact you live with someone counts against you when claiming SW entitlements, yet tax credit's are only transferable between married couples.

Edit -> I see it also Irks Bronte too (from another thread)

Bronte said:

There are certain rules about cohabitating couples for social welfare purposes, in relation to social welfare they take all the pain but are not allowed to gain by the rules of the tax/revenue/legal system for married couples.

Click to expand...

@noname, maybe you would consider starting a new thread in LOS or STB as that seems to me to be off-topic here?