Benefits and husband refuses to leave

[User1972]

Can anyone help or suggest a way out….. ive been trying to separate from my husband for over a year. Our relationship is awful and I feel he is emotionally abusive towards me making me doubt myself and my sanity. We have a toddler and I currently work two days a week in a low wage job and look after him the rest of the week . I have looked into benefits to help me leave but am only entitled to £500 and because I have a mortgage on the house nothing else. Between that and my £650 wage I would be able to pay the bills ( basics we don’t have anything extra like Netflix or subscriptions etc) but nothing else like food, fuel or clothes.
On my wage I can’t afford to put my toddler into nursery to work more - my wage daily is the same as his nursery and there appears to be no help available with this.
i really really need to separate from my husband for my own sanity but can’t see a way forward because I can’t earn anymore and am not eligible for more benefits or below its nursery fees.
my husband also made himself bankrupt and he has another year left on that so is saying he can’t leave because he can’t get anywhere to live because of that. In addition he’s also guilt tripping me saying I’m making him waste money on rent when it’s money that could be spent on our son….. my son gets nothing as it is …. Everything he has is second hand .
i feel like I’m going crazy and don’t know how much longer I can carry on this way.

£650 wage and you get £500? That’s wrong for a start. Are you down as single on the claim or did you put it through as a joint claim?

It doesn’t matter if you have a mortgage, as long as you live there and don’t have a second property.

You can formally separate and claim benefits whilst still sharing a home. You need to only cook your own food, do your washing etc.

You will be entitled to help towards childcare too

Will you be able to afford to buy your husband out? If not then you may need to sell and split the equity, you may need to consider renting, but would get housing benefit depending on your assets

Does he work? You calculation is definitely wrong. You'll get up to 85% of your childcare paid for. When is your child 2/3 as there is some funding available for free childcare

As above you can both apply for benefits as separated. There will probably be some checks, you need your own bank account of currently joint and your wage going into there. You shouldn't be doing anything for each other, do your own shopping, cooking, eat separately, divide up days each parent is responsible for LO. If you decide that officially between the two of you you could also claim child support if not 50/50 and your H earns a wage. They can ask to confirm the seperation with a member of your family or friend to show that everyone knows so you're actually seperated. Try. entitledto website, it's a good guide to benefits system and put yourself in as single. It's not ideal but you could continue to occupy the same house till the divorce and bankruptcy are sorted.