It may pay to get married, but not everyone has that option. The Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, launched a campaign this week to bring attention to the financial challenges that same-sex couples are forced to deal with. The group points out that gay and lesbian couples lack the protection and benefits conferred by over 1,000 different federal provisions.
Among the disadvantages that gay couples face compared with legally married ones:
- Unmarried couples often cannot include each other on employer-based health plans without paying tax penalties.
- They often lack job protection when taking time off to care for their partner.
- They can not give Social Security survivor benefits to their partner.
The campaign offers more information and tips for dealing with such challenges.
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