How does financial support/universal credit work when seperating?

[Jade147]

Hi all,
Really looking for some help and advice about financially separating please. My husband and I have been married for 5 years, however he cheated on me and we are now separated. We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. He has been living at his Mums since January and we have tried couples counselling but have not been able to work through our issues.
I work part time, 3 days a week and earn approximately 25k, for which I get about £1900 a month. My husband owns his own business. We have a 3 bed house owned together for which the mortgage cost is £2100. Both girls are in nursery which costs £1500 a month. Then we obviously have the typical utility bills on top, as well as food costs etc.
My husband has agreed to continue paying the mortgage however I cannot afford to pay the girls nursery fees/run the general household on my income.
Does anyone know if I’d be able to get universal credit for the childcare element? Or if I would be eligible for any support? And how I would go about putting this all in place, declaring he is not living here etc…Failing to see how I will manage financially!! Thank you for any help/advice you can offer!

I earn similar to you and receive universal credit. If you have not done so already, use a benefits calculator like Entitled To. This will give you an estimate of what you may receive and the info they ask for is very similar to what you enter onto the universal credit application.

I am renting so it is slightly different for me. I took ex DH off the tenancy, electoral roll and council tax. Then I applied. I had to provide proof of housing costs (because I rent I receive housing allowance). I do not pay for childcare, but I assume you will need to provide proof of childcare costs for help towards childcare.

Any maintenance you receive from ex (I would class the mortgage payments as maintenance) is not taken into account with universal credit.