Hi, I know the topic says house swaps but it was the best fit for my question
I am looking for advice please
I am currently on maternity leave, I have a 4 year old and a 2 month old. I live with my partner but he owns the house not me, he is also the main provider ( prior to mat leave I worked part time to save on nursery fees )
it's a long story but I have decided to separate from my partner and I really need my own place. I have never claimed any kind of benefits so I have no idea how it all works. I live in Manchester and a 1 bed house / flat is more than I earn a month from maternity pay. I have tried looking outside of Manchester but it's not much different and it's too far from my daughters school / my support net work and my job when I eventually go back to work
Does anyone know if / what I could be entitled to whilst on maternity leave to help with the cost of private renting please ?
I have the money for any deposits/ first months rent up front ect but I have no idea how I will pay the full rent, council tax food and other bills on maternity pay which is around 600 / 700 a month. Even if I went back to work full time I still couldn't afford to get by with the price of private renting and I wouldn't be eligible for social housing. For example the cheapest 1 bed flat I could find was £950 a month and 2 bed was £1200 ( both in not so nice areas and in horrible condition) anything decent is way more in price
I would really appreciate any advice please without judgement. Thank you 😊