People living apart from their partner
Your customer and their partner will still be treated as a couple if either of them is temporarily living away from home (for example, if one of them is caring for a sick relative, has gone on holiday or is studying away from home).
If a temporary separation becomes permanent, your customer and their partner can apply for Pension Credit separately.
Your customer will also be treated as a single person if:
- the absence is likely to last longer than 52 weeks or has already lasted longer than that time
- they, their partner or both go into prison or secure hospital (see People in Prison)
- they or their partner go permanently into a care home (People Living in Care Homes)
- their partner goes abroad for more than a few weeks (see People who leave Great Britain temporarily),
- the partner who has been getting Pension Credit goes abroad and their Pension Credit stops after a certain time. The partner left in GB will then be treated as a single person. See People who leave Great Britain temporarily for the rules about payment of Pension Credit during temporary absences abroad.
