»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp

Short-term absences from the home, whether occasional or regular, do not necessarily mean that two people should not be regarded as living together as a married couple (LTAMC) or as civil partners (LTACP). Absences could be due to:

• work (for example an oil rig worker or long distance lorry driver)
• being a hospital in-patient
• a holiday
• a visit to relatives
• training or education
• a custodial sentence of less than 52 weeks
• a forces posting

This list is not exhaustive.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp common feature of the reasons for the absence from the home listed above is their temporary nature (for temporary absences from the UK - see below; for claims from couples where only one partner is in the UK - see TCTM09370).

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappre is no specific period of time after which a couple’s absence from one another ceases to be temporary, factors to be considered include:

• the length of the absence
• how much longer the absence is expected to last
• to what extent the partners have maintained contact
• the couple’s future intentions

An absence from the UK can only be regarded as temporary if, at its start, it is expected to last for no more than 52 weeks.