Claiming UC while living with Ex

[LunarMoon92]

The father of my child and I's relationship broke down over Christmas and I'm finally realising it won't be fixed. I need to claim UC but wanted to know how anyone else has done so while their ex lives in the same home - we share the mortgage, sleep in separate rooms but still do some things as a family and are co parenting reasonably well for our little one. I'm struggling to find work, everyone focuses on the 2 days a week I can't arrange childcare. I feel so rubbish, and now the stress of bills. I can't bury my head in the sand anymore. I've always worked and was in a 30 grand a year job role before my LO came along. I'm struggling, lonely and feel like a failure. Sorry back to it - what do I need to do to claim UC and prove the relationship has broken down? Will i need to attend JCP ? Ex has agreed to pay mortgage if i cover the other bills. Please be kind, not sure if can take rudeness atm. TIA

How old is your child OP?

You can be treated as a single person for UC if you're permanently separated from your partner, even if still living under the same roof.

Basically, you need to show you're two separate households.

There's no precise definition of the term ‘household’ and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. They would look at things like:

• separate cooking and eating arrangements
• separate financial arrangements
• lack of evidence of family life eg how you're perceived by others.

As ever with new claims to UC I suggest having a word with the guys at Help to Claim

15 months

Hi, any update on this thread.

Did you successfully claim universal credit?
Did you have to prove anything regarding two house holds?