Civil Partnerships

The Civil Partnership Act came into force on 5th December 2005. Any same sex couple wishing to form a civil partnership has been able to give notice of their intention to register from that date.

For Welfare benefits, including Housing Benefit / Local Housing Allowance 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 are living together as husband and wife.

Failure to inform the local authority dealing with your Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit claim that you have formed a civil partnership or are living together as civil partners could mean that your Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit is overpaid and you will be asked to repay it.