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Factors of a relationship
Centrelink must consider all the circumstances of the relationship.Centrelink considers a list of factors to form a picture of the relationship.
Asking yourself the following questions will help you to get an idea of whether you are a member of a couple from Centrelink’s point of view:
Financial arrangements
show more- do you provide financial support for each other? If so, why?
- do you have any joint accounts or credit cards?
- do you have a joint loan or have you applied jointly for any loan?
- whose name is the telephone/electricity/gas in?
- who pays the bills and how do you work out contributions?
- do you jointly own assets, eg, your home, an investment property, car, furniture?
- do you know about each other's financial affairs?
- are either of you listed as a dependent spouse/partner for tax or Medicare?
- has either of you named the other person as a beneficiary in your will or superannuation?
- do you lend or give each other money? Why?
- if the other person lost their job or had no income, would you feel obliged to them? For how long? Why?
Accommodation and domestic arrangements
show more- do you live at the same address?
- how long have you lived there?
- have you lived together at other places?
- why did you first decide to live at the same address?
- has the way you live together changed since you first lived together?
- do you intend to continue living together in the future? If so, why?
- do you have separate bedrooms or living areas?
- whose name is the lease or mortgage in?
- how do you arrange your domestic chores?
- cooking
- shopping
- cleaning
- laundry
- ironing
- lawn-mowing
- if you do not live at the same address, is this temporary or permanent? Why?
Social relationship
show more- do you share the same circle of friends?
- do you tell each other where you are daily or what you are doing when you go out?
- do you frequently go out together or do you regularly go out separately?
- do either of you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?
- do you visit each others families? If not, why?
- would your friends and family consider you a couple? Do you correct them?
- do you conceal your relationship from friends, family, employers. If so, why?
- do your family or friends make plans for you as a couple?
- have you ever let a government department, real estate agency or bank assume you are a couple?
- do you use the same family name?
- do you take holidays together?
Sexual relationship
show more- do you have a continuing sexual relationship with each other?
- does either of you have a sexual relationship with anyone else?
Relationship with children
show moreIf one of you has children
- is the person you live with the parent or guardian of the child(ren) in your household?
- do you share parenting activities, e.g. feeding, dressing, disciplining, transport?
- who are the emergency contacts for the child(ren)’s school or child-care?
Commitment to each other
show more- how long have you been in the relationship?
- is the relationship stronger than an ordinary friendship? In what way?
- do you believe the relationship will continue?
- who do you talk to when you have a problem?
- if you suddenly got sick, who would you call?
- have you made long-term plans involving the other person?
- do you think you are likely to marry or register your relationship? If not, why not?
- do you think your relationship is different to a marriage or de facto relationship? If not, why?
© 2012 Welfare Rights Centre. All rights reserved. The information on this website is intended only as a guide. It is not a substitute for legal advice.
The Welfare Rights Centre would like to thank the National Welfare Rights Network for permitting the links to their factsheets and self-help materials.
The Welfare Rights Centre would like to thank the National Welfare Rights Network for permitting the links to their factsheets and self-help materials.