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Work & Income Nov 09, 2025 10 min read

Will your partner's debt become your problem when you move in together

Many people worry that moving in with a partner means taking on all of their debt too. This guide explains when you are and are not liable, how joint accounts and credit links work, and how to protect yourself if your partner has money problems.

Will your partner's debt become your problem when you move in together

You might be excited about moving in with your partner but feel uneasy about one thing: they have debts. People often ask:

  • Will their credit cards and loans suddenly become my problem?
  • Will their bad credit drag down my own score?
  • Is it safer to keep everything separate?

The answers are more reassuring than many think, but there are some important traps to avoid.

This guide pulls together what major advice agencies, regulators and credit reference agencies say about couples, debt and credit files.

1. Does moving in or getting married make you responsible for your partner's debt?

Short answer: no, not automatically.

Citizens Advice explains that when you move in together, marry or enter a civil partnership, you do not suddenly become liable for debts that are solely in your partner's name. Each person remains responsible for debts in their own name.
See for example:

However, you are responsible for:

  • debts in joint names, and
  • certain household debts where the law makes both adults in the home liable, such as council tax in England and Wales.

Citizens Advice explains that you may be held responsible for the whole of a joint debt, not just your half. This is called joint and several liability: the creditor can chase either of you for the full balance.
See:

So simply living together does not merge your debts, but choosing to sign things together often does.

2. When you are both named on the borrowing

If you and your partner take out credit together – for example:

  • a joint personal loan
  • a joint overdraft
  • a joint mortgage

you will almost always be jointly and severally liable. That means:

  • the lender can ask either one of you to pay the full amount, and
  • if one of you stops paying, the other can be chased for the lot.

Citizens Advice makes this point clearly: if a debt is in joint names, both people are responsible for the whole debt, even after a breakup, unless the lender formally removes one person from the agreement.
See: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/sorting-out-money/dividing-up-money-and-belongings-when-you-separate/

MoneyHelper gives similar warnings about joint accounts and joint loans – they are only suitable for relationships where there is strong trust, because either person can usually spend the money or run up debt.
See:

Key point: a lender does not have to chase you both equally. If your ex disappears or refuses to pay, you can still be left with the entire balance.

3. Household bills that can make both of you liable

Even if credit cards and loans are in one name, some household bills can create shared responsibility.

Citizens Advice and local authority guidance explain that, in England and Wales, adults who live in a property as their main home can be jointly liable for council tax, even if the bill only shows one name.
See:

For other bills:

  • Rent – if you are both on the tenancy, you are normally jointly responsible for the full rent.
  • Gas, electricity, water, broadband – responsibility usually follows the names on the contract, but if both of you are named, both can be chased.

MoneyHelper suggests checking carefully whose name is on each contract before you move in, particularly if your partner has a history of missing payments.
See: https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/should-we-manage-money-jointly-or-separately

4. Does your partner's bad credit affect your credit score?

Credit reference agencies are clear on one important point:

You do not inherit someone else's credit history just because you are in a relationship or live at the same address.

Experian explains that you become financially linked only when you take out joint credit, such as a joint loan, mortgage or current account. Sharing an address alone does not link your reports.
See:

However, once there is a financial association:

  • future lenders may look at both credit files when you apply together
  • a serious problem on your partner's file (such as defaults or insolvency) can make it harder or more expensive for you to borrow jointly.

Recent explainers by credit experts also stress that while each person keeps their own credit score, a partner with a poor record can still affect joint applications for things like mortgages and car finance.
See, for example:

If you split up and close all joint accounts, you can usually ask the credit reference agencies to remove the financial association so that future applications are judged only on your own history. Experian and the other agencies all have online forms for this.
See: https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/financial-association.html

5. Big red flags – guarantor loans and coerced debt

Some of the riskiest situations are:

Being a guarantor for your partner

If you agree to be a guarantor on your partner's loan, you are promising to pay if they do not. Experian warns that missed payments can then damage your credit record and leave you with a large debt to repay.
See: https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/being-a-guarantor.html

Never sign a guarantor agreement unless:

  • you have read and understood the contract, and
  • you are genuinely comfortable paying the whole amount yourself if things go wrong.

Coerced debt and economic abuse

Debt charities and government toolkits highlight a growing problem called coerced debt – where a partner forces or manipulates someone into taking credit in their name or running up debts they did not really agree to.

StepChange defines coerced debt as a form of economic abuse where a partner or family member forces someone into debt or builds up debts in their name. Research by the charity estimates that around 1.6 million adults have experienced coerced debt in the last year, and many have not sought help.
See:

A government economic abuse toolkit notes that forcing or coercing someone into debt is now recognised as a common form of economic abuse, often linked with coercive and controlling behaviour offences.
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-sector-toolkits/economic-abuse-toolkit-html

Specialist charities such as Surviving Economic Abuse set out options for challenging coerced debts and working with creditors.
See: https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/i-need-help/debt/possible-solutions-coerced-debt/

If you think this might be happening to you, it is important to seek help from a trusted advice agency or domestic abuse service before confronting the person who is abusing you.

6. Talking about money before you move in together

MoneyHelper and relationship advisers encourage couples to have honest conversations about money before sharing a home or merging finances.
See:

Useful topics to cover:

  1. What debts each of you has now
    Include overdrafts, credit cards, personal loans, unpaid bills, tax debts and student loans.

  2. How you each feel about borrowing
    Are you comfortable with buy now pay later? How do you feel about credit cards – convenience tool or last resort?

  3. How you will split bills
    Will you pay 50/50, by income share, or in some other way? Who will actually set up the Direct Debits?

  4. Whether to open a joint account
    MoneyHelper suggests using a joint account only for shared bills if you are both comfortable, and keeping separate accounts for personal spending. If one person has serious debt or a poor credit file, they suggest avoiding joint credit altogether until their situation improves.
    See: https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/banking/joint-accounts

  5. What would happen if you split up
    It might feel awkward, but having a plan for how you would divide joint accounts, furniture and deposits can prevent conflict later. Organisations such as Independent Age suggest considering a simple written agreement, especially if you are not married.
    See: https://www.independentage.org/get-advice/looking-after-your-money/relationships-and-your-money

7. Practical ways to protect yourself

Here are some concrete steps drawn from guidance by Citizens Advice, MoneyHelper and major credit reference agencies:

Keep some things in your own name

It is usually sensible for each partner to keep:

  • at least one current account in their own name
  • their own credit card (if they choose to have one)
  • clear records of their own income and regular bills.

This helps protect you if the relationship ends or one person racks up unmanageable debt.

Be careful with joint accounts and loans

MoneyHelper warns that opening a joint account creates a financial link between you, which can affect your ability to get credit in future. Only do it with someone you fully trust.
See: https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/banking/joint-accounts

If you want to share bills without full joint access, you can:

  • set up standing orders from your separate accounts to one person's bill account, or
  • agree that one person pays certain bills and the other person pays different ones.

Check both of your credit reports

Each of you can check your credit file and score for free via the main credit reference agencies. Many now allow you to see your full report and score without charge through their apps or online portals.
See:

Checking your own report does not harm your score and can help you spot errors or old links to ex partners.

Avoid being pressured into signing

Red flags include:

  • being asked to sign loan or guarantor documents you do not understand
  • being told "it will not affect you" if you add your name to bills or credit
  • being discouraged from reading paperwork or seeking independent advice.

If you feel pressured, step back and talk to an advice charity or solicitor before agreeing.

8. Where to get help if things go wrong

If you are worried about your partner's debt, or your own, you do not have to deal with it alone. Reliable free help includes:

If you feel you are in immediate danger because of abuse, you should contact the police and a domestic abuse helpline as soon as it is safe to do so.

9. Key points to remember

  • Your partner's debts do not automatically become your debts just because you live together or get married.
  • You are fully responsible for any borrowing in joint names and for certain shared household debts such as council tax.
  • A partner's poor credit record does not directly change your score, but joint credit can create a financial link that affects future applications.
  • Be very cautious about guarantor loans and about signing anything under pressure.
  • Honest conversations, separate accounts, and careful use of joint products can protect both of you.
  • If you suspect economic abuse or coerced debt, specialist help is available and you are not alone.

Understanding where the legal lines are drawn means you can move in together with your eyes open – supporting each other without accidentally taking on debts that are not really yours.

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