Qualifying Adult Allowance and living apart / separation / divorce

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Branz

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Neighbour is on illness benefit. He receives 188 a week and also receives 124.80 a week increase for his spouse as a qualifying adult [IQA or QAA as Qualifying Adult Allowance].

They are considering living apart / separation / divorce but I am concerned that the IQA will be lost if they cease to co-habit, not to mention separation and divorce.
[deleted as wrong based on reply below, other edits to correct some wording]

Am I correct with this analysis: for some reason I can't scroll down, move around the Social welfare site this am.
Thanks, as always.
 
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The QAA may remain in payment if there is a maintenance agreement between the couple - see the following paragraph from welfare.ie

Separation, civil partners not living together, divorce or a dissolved civil partnership

If you are separated but giving your spouse or civil partner a weekly maintenance payment which is at least €124.80 per week (the same as the current rate of IQA for Jobseeker's Allowance) you can get an IQA with your personal social welfare payment. Your spouse or civil partner must not be cohabiting with someone else. To get the full rate of IQA your spouse or civil partner must not have weekly income above €100 excluding maintenance. If your spouse or civil partner has income between €100 and €310 you may get a reduced rate of IQA.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Increase-for-a-Qualified-Adult_holder.aspx

The spouse won't qualify for a state pension based on her husband's contributions - she would have to have contributions in her own right. She may be eligible for the QAA rate of her husband's state pension, but as above, there would have to be a maintenance agreement in place.
 
Thanks for that ! have deleted the errors in my OP but you answer still stands on its own .
still can't navigate the SW site, I think its a Mac OS X issue with an upgrade last night
Would getting half his occupational pension, by way of a maintenance agreement, constitute weekly income that would dilute the IQA?
 
The paragraph quoted above states that maintenance is excluded as incone, so the portion of the occupational pension might not be assessed for the QAA. Best to confirm the details with Illness Benefit section.
 
Thanks,
The sale of the existing house and division of the cash proceeds will probably eliminate the IQA until the QA reinvests in a property. The means test is €4/week/€1000 so on say 300K, this is €1,200 per week:)
 
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