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Cleveland Abolishes Family Benefits for Unmarried Couples

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CLEVELAND (AP) – Cleveland officials say city employees with domestic partners are now expected to marry if they want to continue on the city’s family benefits plan.

Cleveland City Council on Wednesday ended the program extending family benefits to domestic partners of city employees and introduced legislation to terminate the city’s domestic partner registry.

Finance Director Sharon Dumas says the registry was designed to help same-sex couples receive benefits that married couples enjoyed. But since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month legalized gay marriage across the country, all couples must be married to continue receiving the benefits.

Unmarried couples can continue on the city’s health care and benefits plan until April 1.