Debts-his or ours?

[Stressedgiraffe]

Dh has a lot of debt over £20k he thinks could be more. He stopped paying any debts when he quit his job last year. He's had a job since but was sacked after 4 months. He hasn't worked in 6 months. He is finally signing on.

Anyway I can just pay for everything but have nothing spare for his debts.
He's spoken to a charity and they can help but need all my financial info too. They said I'll need to pay of his debts.
I don't want to. I have some of my own and the cost of everything I have nothing spare.
Aibu to think he needs to have a plan that doesn't involve me paying them?

I can't fathom why you aren't raging and considering divorcing him.

Him supporting you when you had babies is not the same as him leaving a job, getting fired from another and lying about it.

You're very very unlikely to be liable, usually someone can't be unless they've signed an agreement or made a verbal agreement for the debt/credit card etc. Marriage doesn't change that. If you could be seen to have benefitted from the debt and it was paid into and repayments made from a joint account there might be an argument but this would need court to decide. If the debt was an overdraft on a joint account or redraw on a joint mortgage they could then come after you too. If he has illegally signed documents on your behalf then you'd have to report the fraud or be held liable. If you were to divorce a judge could decide these debts are joint marital debts. The law during marriage and during divorce treat debts and assets in different ways. Equally you wouldn't have any claim on assets solely in his name and vise versa while married.

If you have joint accounts/mortgage his debt will effect your credit score. I would want to check he hasn't added your name to anything. Don't sign anything acknowledging the debts or taking responsibility for them at all. I don't know what effect it will have if you refuse to provide your financial information. If you can it might be worth speaking to the charity by yourself to work out what's going on and what options and if disclosure is worthwhile. Your DH may have to authorise this. You'd probably get more accurate advice on the money saving expert forum, lots about debt on their. CAB may also be useful.

Whilst this is aim whilst he's waiting for this job, he needs to be applying for jobs at the lower paid end of the market to get some money coming and service his debts.