Borrowing money for rent & universal credit

[leopardprintlindt]

Finally had the conversation with a'D'H about getting a divorce. I need to move out with the children (it's complicated) and he has largely accepted this. The house will eventually be sold.

If I borrow a years rent and pay upfront, would I still be able to claim universal credit for the rent - even though technically it's paid for?

Not while you own the house. You're not entitled to housing if you own a property

Yes, you won't be entitled to any housing related UC as a homeowner.

I had to do exactly the same thing but for the first 6 months and paid the rent upfront. I applied for UC and explained I owned a house but had to leave due to relationship breakdown. I had to send them my tennancy agreement with the monthly rent on and they accepted me as a claimant. I explained everything to them, I didn't hide anything.

Ignore the first two replies. There are some exceptions to the basic rule about owning property you don't live in, and separation is one.
www.turn2us.org.uk/Jargon-buster/Disregarded-Property

You should get legal advice, though. You could post in the legal section, contact your local Citizens Advice, and look at the Advicenow website (they have some very helpful guides on divorce).

As for claiming the housing element if you pay a year's rent in advance, it's complicated. Best avoided if possible. To get more advice on it contact Citizens Advice "Help to Claim" www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/helptoclaim/

This was a few years ago and before UC properly kicked in but I did get housing benefit as long as I sold the house within 6 months and could prove it was up for sale. If course once I'd sold the house I didn't qualify as I had my share of the house and couldn't buy yet as I was a student nurse. Eventually I did by my own property. Anyway my point was I did claim for a short while and at the time it was areal life saver Def take advice xxx

@AnotherEmma please can you elaborate on the last bit especially regarding paying a years rent upfront and claiming through UC? I've spent the better part of today trying to understand this and have come up with nothing. I'm in such a sticky situation, have friends and family I can borrow money from to give the rent upfront but I need the housing element to come through to pay them back. Unfortunately, I'm not getting a property to rent without paying the rent upfront due to credit checks. I don't have a bad credit history just don't earn enough yet.