The Nip, Herod.
I believe it is the position that there is no black and white based on a marriage certificate, there are exceptions, and these have to be considered in a reasonable way. Which may indeed be a judgement cited in similar civil cases.
Lord Justice McCombe, sitting with Lord Justice Leggatt and Lord Justice Baker, said that the “broad exclusionary rule” was “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”. He added: “It is a legitimate aim of the scheme to achieve parity of treatment between married and unmarried partners of scheme members. But such parity is in reality achieved not by imposing restrictions based on a partner’s marital status, but by requiring the demonstration of a substantial, exclusive and financially dependent relationship in practice.”