Gordon is a health care assistant living in Belfast, earning £20,000 a year after deductions for tax, National Insurance and pension contributions. He is about to move into a flat with his boyfriend Dale, who has a 15-year-old child, Isla. Dale is a chef and earns £18,500 a year after tax and National Insurance. He also receives £21.15 a week in child benefit. No-one described above has any other source of income

comment on how their individual living standards have changed compared to when they were living separately.