Top practical tips for remarriage and civil partnerships
More and more people are getting married after a divorce or bereavement, which is very exciting, but it is often sensible to also think about how you will manage your new financial and legal arrangements.
What happens to your benefits if you remarry?
Remarriage, civil partnership or living as a couple, can affect your means-tested benefits, including universal credit, housing benefit, or council tax support, as your new partner’s income will be taken into consideration as part of your overall income.If you do change your marital/co-habiting status, you must inform your benefits office as soon as you can to ensure you are claiming the correct level of benefits.
Your State Pension
If you remarry or register for a Civil Partnership after you reach state pension age, you can use an ex-partner’s National Insurance record for your basic state pension, if this allows you to receive a higher pension as a result. If you remarry or register a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age, you might this right.
Widows, widowers and surviving civil partners who have reached state pension age can also inherit some or all of their late partner’s additional pension or graduated retirement benefit.
You can read more about State Pensions HERE
If you have a private pension scheme and remarry or form a civil partnership, you might want to change the nominated beneficiary for your pension.
Your will
Remarriage or new civil partnership invalidates any existing wills, but seeing through a divorce or dissolving a civil partnership does not. If you wish, you can amend your will to stop cancellation due to your remarriage, but you might well prefer to make a new will.
Read more about how to make a will HERE and about advanced directives HERE
You will also be ineligible to receive maintenance for yourself after divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership. This can be complex, so it’s advisable to ask a lawyer for help.
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