{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-act-2012/section-39",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-act-2012/section-39.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2012/5",
  "legislation_title": "Welfare Reform Act 2012",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welfare-reform-act-2012",
  "path": "section/39",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "39",
  "heading": "Couples",
  "text": "(1) In this Part “couple” means—\n(a) two people who are married to, or civil partners of, each other and are members of the same household; or\n(b) two people who are not married to, or civil partners of, each other but are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) For the purposes of this section regulations may prescribe—\n(a) circumstances in which the fact that two persons are married or are civil partners is to be disregarded;\n(b) circumstances in which two people are to be treated as living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners;\n(c) circumstances in which people are to be treated as being or not being members of the same household.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 39(1) substituted (S.) (16.12.2014) by The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 20(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 39(1) substituted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 36(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(1)(b) substituted (2.12.2019) by The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 35(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 39(2) omitted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by virtue of The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 36(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 39(2) omitted (S.) (16.12.2014) by virtue of The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 20(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 39(3)(a) substituted (S.) (16.12.2014) by The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 20(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 39(3)(a) substituted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 36(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(3)(b) substituted (S.) (16.12.2014) by The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3229), art. 1(2), Sch. 5 para. 20(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(3)(b) substituted (E.W.) (13.3.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 36(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(3)(b) substituted (2.12.2019) by The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 35(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Pt. 1 modified by 1995 c. 18, Sch. 1 para. 2(3) (as inserted (29.4.2013) by The Universal Credit (Consequential, Supplementary, Incidental and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/630), regs. 1(2), 10(b))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 39(1)(2)(3)(b)(c) in force at 29.4.2013 by S.I. 2013/983, art. 3(1)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 39(3)(a) in force at 25.2.2013 by S.I. 2013/358, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 para. 18"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/5/section/39",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:09:01.675536+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}