how do i go about finding a private rent and also about housing benefit

[pinkkoala]

have prev posted on the relationship thread, h being very nastx to me and dd. he isnt working at the mo i work part time and pay all bills and food etc.
i have been to sols re divorce due to his aggression and ea towards me and dd.
he is refusing to move out, why shud he, lives life of riley here.
how do i go about moving out and finding somewhere and what sort of timescale are we looking at.

I can post about private rents if that's any help ? Don't know about HB I'm afraid other that a Kafkaesque experience 10 years ago.

Primelocation.co.uk will list most all rentals in UK I'd recommend it.

Private will likely want a month in advance and a month deposit + admin fees.

There's also the benifit of local knowledge. The best and cheapest places I've rented in the past have been through word of mouth and possibly karma

Go and talk to the local council housing officer and find out if they will allow you to do this. They may be able to give you some pointers. You should also mention the issues you are having with your stbxh.

I would talk to shelter as well, local councils try to encourage you to find a private rental as they are often short of council homes. Council places have more security as a private landlord can ask you to leave for no reason with two months notice. I think, but am not sure, that if you are experiencing domestic violence you are classified as homeless and this could make you a high priority for a council place. I'm not sure though so check this with the CAB or Shelter.

If you want to go straight into a private rental look on your councils website to find how much housing benefit you are entitled to as it varies from area to area. HB does not cover deposits and is paid in arears so you usually need a deposit plus the first months rent in advance. If you have this and qualify for HB you can move in as soon as you find a landlord who accepts HB. A lot don't.

Are you currently renting? I think owning a propety might complicate your benefit entitlements as well so a good idea get advice before you find a tenancy.

Good luck.

rightmove.co.uk are very good too, i got hb for 6 months (very similar circumstances ex wouldnt move out) but after 6 months it stopped because in theory we should have sold the house. That didnt happen but after another 6 months ex bought me out!!

Good luck, leaving was the best thing i ever did, but i can say it wasnt always easy...

Just wanted to say, like frothy did above - Shelter are VERY helpful. In my experience, CAB have been hit and miss (usually miss for one reason or another) but Shelter have both a helpline (very difficult to get through) and an e-mail advice service (takes just a few days, I know it probably seems like ages atm, but bear with them!). england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice

As far as housing goes, Shelter could tell you whether your council would be legally obligated to house you or not (as above, if you own where you live it may complicate matters). If you did end up private renting, I think most places have 'local housing allowance' which is set at different rates depending on location. Check your council's website, it should tell you. The amount you get would be adjusted according to any income from a part time job/ tax credits etc..

Also - I know you've not mentioned anything about domestic violence, and I'm probably totally overreacting, but it sounds as if even if there's none at the moment if there's a lot of tension about who moves out etc.. there'd be the possibility of it. I'd recommend finding out whether there's a local DV advice drop in. There is in a lot of areas - the best way to find out might be to drop into/ phone up a local Children's Centre and ask them. Even if nothing comes of it, it's better to find out and then not need it than to run the risk of being in a situation where you don't know what to do.