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Living apart together: long-distance love affairs
For others the driving force that keeps them apart – but together – is financial. Donald King, 72, lives in Southampton while his partner, Ann, lives six miles away in Romsey
Donald says: “In addition to our state pensions my partner and I both have the benefit of occupational pensions. Mine will cease absolutely on my demise and could not be used to benefit anyone I married after my retirement. My partner's pension would be stopped if she married or lived with someone as a common-law spouse.”
There are many practical reasons for living alone together, but when Saga appealed for LATs to step forward, eliciting a bulging mailbag, various emotional motives became apparent.
“I stayed with my husband for a long time for the sake of the children and felt very trapped by it and I'm scared that might happen again,” says Anne Cowings, 61, who lives in Leicestershire while her partner lives in Manchester.
Toni Wallace, 68, who lives 100 yards from her partner in Brighton, says: “After my husband died I had a brief marriage which was a total disaster, since when I've been very wary.” Written by Serena Allott
This article was created: 13 July 2006.
This article was last edited: 11 December 2006.
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