Can you give me your idea of if this is workable?

[Monkeytrousers]

I am thinking if leaving my DP.

A friend has a lovely big house and she useually has lodgers and could accomodate us.

It would mean I have to give up my part time job and get another one closer to where she lives. DS qualifies for a free 2 hour nursery slot 5 days a week and if I were to work 4 days I would qualify for 2 days working tax credit to help pay for 2 days nursery ( who thought that one up?!)

Just wondering if I would get any help with paying rent, coucil tax etc?

Any advice from experience apreciated

I am also just at the beginning of this road and have an appointment with a solicitor next week to see where I stand.

This might be able to help you work a few things out and I'm sure you'd be able to claim other benefits whilst you are looking for work.

Is there no chance of staying where you are and dp move out?

Why should DP move out just because monkey has decided the relationship is ended - has she even discussed it with him?

Have you come to any arrangements for the children??

Was thinking of the children really and the least amount of disruption.

I never said the dp SHOULD move out, just asking if that's possible or not.

We have been discussing it for over a year. We have been trying and having a reasonably good time over xmas, but it has only cemented for me the fact that I no longer love him and want to share my life with him as a partner. He will always be part fo our lives as the father of our son and I would rather we moved out and let him stay in the house as I think it would be some comfort to him and I would rather live with my friend than be alone and also becasue where she lives is so much more accessible to the city.

I need to see if this is finacially viable for me and DS beofre I mention it to him as otherwose, it would sour the atmosphere when we are being friends now at least.

If it is not finacially viable, it may be that I just have to wait until Ds is in school proper, but by then I plan to have collected some money for us to make a go of it.
I just think what is best for our son at teh moment is for us to live apart, as there is always a palpable risk of relations between us disintergtating and I'd rather we seperated now when we can agree a 'no fault' divirce, if you see what I mean?

Thanks for that link MuthaH

If you are renting as a lodger, you shouldn't have any council tax liability, unless specifically mentioned as part of your agreement with your landlady.

You may be entitled to housing benefit, child tax credit and, once working, working tax credit. You already get child benefit. If you are looking for a job, you could apply for Job Seekers' allowance.

monkey speak to the CAB or the housing benefit section as I dont think you can claim housing benefit to pay someone who also lives in the property, could be wrong

If you work and are not married you will get 80% of your child care costs paid for - seperate from tax credit and child tax credit - aslong as you are working 16 hours or more per week and single with children of course.

Google "entitled to" and this will help you to establish what help financaly you would recieve.

Will do,

Tinker I used to lodg with someone a few years agoa bd yu could then - might have changed since though