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Original poster

Not sure what to do/ universal credit help?

17 replies

Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 19:00

Hello. I recently left my partner of 9 years. We had a home/mortgage together and have one child (6years old.)

It was my choice to split, he has no family I'm this country (he's European/I'm British) so we agreed I would leave the home and move in with my mother. Child stays with me 3/4nights a week and then 3/4nights a week at home with him. Basically on his days off or when he has an early finish.

He's taken on all payments for the house and bills. I will help him if needed as we're on good terms and I wouldn't want him to get into financial trouble. I'm still on the mortgage though as if I take my name off the bank will state he can't afford it on his wage alone. Even though he can 🤷🏼‍♀️

Anyway. I'm in a box room at my mum's home with my son. I can't live this way much longer I cant even fit our belongings here. I work part time contracted to 12hr per week but do any overtime that I can when its during school times. I earn around £700-800 per month. So obviously I cant get a place to myself with this wage. I have never looked into benefits before but I am entitled to some help? Or because I'm on the mortgage they can refuse? Any advice on what I could potentially be entitled too?

OP posts:
Original poster
Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 19:09

I done this but it didn't ask anything about my mortgage. I'm worried if I make a claim and won't be entitled! I'd be made to pay it back

OP posts:
Radiodread · 27/07/2023 19:17

You need advice, especially if you put different amounts into the house as a deposit.

if your former partner lives in your mortgaged property as a single parent it is usually disregarded when calculating benefit entitlement. But you need specialist guidance.

also, you may need to substantially increase your working hours or show evidence you are trying to.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Benefits
Radiodread · 27/07/2023 19:19

Also does yr ex partner have settled status?

Original poster
Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 19:39

Radiodread · 27/07/2023 19:17

You need advice, especially if you put different amounts into the house as a deposit.

if your former partner lives in your mortgaged property as a single parent it is usually disregarded when calculating benefit entitlement. But you need specialist guidance.

also, you may need to substantially increase your working hours or show evidence you are trying to.

We've agreed to see how to market is when our term ends in 3 years time as we just bought it so don't have much equity if any atm. He may sell in years and we will slit equity (60/40 more for him) but we don't know our situation in three years. He may meet someone and they move in and I'll come off the mortgage and he can buy me out. Yes he has settled status. I'm also looking for a job with more contracted hours during school times but I've been looking for a long time 😕

OP posts:
Original poster
Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 19:39

Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 19:39

We've agreed to see how to market is when our term ends in 3 years time as we just bought it so don't have much equity if any atm. He may sell in years and we will slit equity (60/40 more for him) but we don't know our situation in three years. He may meet someone and they move in and I'll come off the mortgage and he can buy me out. Yes he has settled status. I'm also looking for a job with more contracted hours during school times but I've been looking for a long time 😕

Show quote history

Sorry for the typos I type to quickly!

OP posts:
Mayhem3 · 27/07/2023 20:09

I believe you need to be working 16 hours a week minimum else you’ll have to keep going to the job centre to look for work.

For now I would make a claim and not say anything about the mortgage unless you are making payments and if needs be explain how you don’t have access to the house/money but I think they’ll just ask how much your rent/mortgage payments are.

As far as housing benefits go (which is now part of UC) you will get up to a set amount of help each week depending on your income.
So it may be you get £500 a month help but your rent is £700 so you’d have to find that money yourself.
It depends on your local authority on how much this is.

If I was you I would apply and take it from there as I find benefit calculators can be inaccurate.

Original poster
Anonjd3 · 27/07/2023 20:53

Mayhem3 · 27/07/2023 20:09

I believe you need to be working 16 hours a week minimum else you’ll have to keep going to the job centre to look for work.

For now I would make a claim and not say anything about the mortgage unless you are making payments and if needs be explain how you don’t have access to the house/money but I think they’ll just ask how much your rent/mortgage payments are.

As far as housing benefits go (which is now part of UC) you will get up to a set amount of help each week depending on your income.
So it may be you get £500 a month help but your rent is £700 so you’d have to find that money yourself.
It depends on your local authority on how much this is.

If I was you I would apply and take it from there as I find benefit calculators can be inaccurate.

Thank you! I could possibly arrange work to give me an extra 4hr shift contacted so that I'm definitely doing 16hrs per week.

Who do I need to contact to help me go through it all? I'm absolutely clueless 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
FlemCandango · 27/07/2023 21:01

Call help to claim they will take you through the process from initial application to first payment. As you have a child you will have a work allowance of £390 before you start having any of your income assessed. Which means each month the DWP ignores the first £390 you earn and then every £2 over that reduces your UC by 55p.

As you are now single you will get SA £368, child element £315 and the rent element (capped to the local housing allowance for your area) if you are not claiming housing costs then your work allowance is higher £631.

You should declare your property but it will be disregarded as an asset if your ex husband is living in it but you may need to evidence that.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

FlemCandango · 27/07/2023 21:02

Every £1 you earn not £2

PaniniHead · 27/07/2023 21:07

Property with UC is complicated. It isn’t always disregarded for life.
It can be disregarded for up to 6 months if you aren’t living there following a relationship breakdown. It could be disregarded indefinitely if the person who remains living there is a lone parent.

Babyroobs · 27/07/2023 21:14

If the equity in the property you own half of with your ex is more than 16K you will not be eligible to claim Universal credit. If you were living in the house it would be disregarded but you're not. It can be disregarded if reasonable steps are being taken to sell it - so if it is on the market to be sold or he is in the process of buying you out of your share it can be disregarded for up to 6 months , sometimes longer at the discretion of a case manager. Unfortunately if he buys you out and you receive more than 16k of the equity you wouldn't be eligible to claim UC anyway. Your best bet is to move back into the house and he finds somewhere else to live although appreciate that may be difficult for him.

Babyroobs · 27/07/2023 21:15

FlemCandango · 27/07/2023 21:01

Call help to claim they will take you through the process from initial application to first payment. As you have a child you will have a work allowance of £390 before you start having any of your income assessed. Which means each month the DWP ignores the first £390 you earn and then every £2 over that reduces your UC by 55p.

As you are now single you will get SA £368, child element £315 and the rent element (capped to the local housing allowance for your area) if you are not claiming housing costs then your work allowance is higher £631.

You should declare your property but it will be disregarded as an asset if your ex husband is living in it but you may need to evidence that.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

It won't be disregarded unless efforts being made to sell the house, or as previous poster says the child lives with him.

Babyroobs · 27/07/2023 21:19

Mayhem3 · 27/07/2023 20:09

I believe you need to be working 16 hours a week minimum else you’ll have to keep going to the job centre to look for work.

For now I would make a claim and not say anything about the mortgage unless you are making payments and if needs be explain how you don’t have access to the house/money but I think they’ll just ask how much your rent/mortgage payments are.

As far as housing benefits go (which is now part of UC) you will get up to a set amount of help each week depending on your income.
So it may be you get £500 a month help but your rent is £700 so you’d have to find that money yourself.
It depends on your local authority on how much this is.

If I was you I would apply and take it from there as I find benefit calculators can be inaccurate.

Op would need to declare to UC that she owns half a house if she has equity in that property. It is irrelevant whether she is paying towards the mortgage or not. It is her share of the equity in that property which will determine if she can receive help or not. She cannot just not mention it, that would be fraudulent and she would get into trouble if it were to be found out.

Original poster
Anonjd3 · 29/07/2023 22:41

Thanks for the advice everyone. The thing is my son lives with us both? It's 50/50 3/4times a week each depending on our work schedules. So im not sure if I should say I'm the responsible parent or him as we both are 🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
PaniniHead · 29/07/2023 22:58

If you say your ex partner is the residential parent, then you can’t claim the child element for him.

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