Universal Credit

[bambara]

Please let me know if this is not the right board to post on.

I have lived abroad with my husband and three children for 13 years. We have paid our voluntary NI contributions in this time. Sadly my husband has left me and the kids, and lost his job. We have to return to the UK, he will stay abroad. I am looking at Universal Credit / Benefits until I can establish myself in a job (hard with three kids). Ive never claimed any benefit before and am a bit lost. We are lucky enough to own a house with tenants that cover our mortgage. I cannot financiallly afford to return to my own home, my mortgage is higher than i can afford, so was looking to rent. Ive checked the Turn2Us calculator, if i live in my own home i am entitedl to enough benefits to cover my mortgage, but if i rent and state that I own my own home and am not living it, i get just 200 a month. This doesn't make sense to me. I would love to return to my own home, is this an error? Is there a way around this?

I can't afford to live in my house, or afford to live on 200. For those suggesting I sell, we are unable to legally for another 2 years. We are literally stuck with the house.

Thank you very much for your help. Im so worried

How much is interest?
That s a substantial amount.
What term and is it repayment?
Hiw much would interest only be?
How much if you extend the term to max? (But you would need income))
Is it on a buy to let mortgage?
Is it in both names?

You could look into moving somewhere cheaper in the UK while you get back on your feet. That's what I did. We moved to northern Ireland from Australia even though I'm from England.
You could apply for jobs now so you've got one lined up for your return and would the rent from your tenants be enough for you to rent a cheap house. I'm in a large 3 bed house in Northern Ireland and we pay £500 per month and about £70 electric and we buy oil and that's it. ( We don't pay council tax or water rates here)

I would move back into my house and get a lodger even if that means kids sleep with you for now. Until you sell it. Perhaps even the existing tenant in the short term if she wants to.

Also if you sell the house and then you can use equity to buy a share in shared ownership, universal credit will cover the rent part

Op, you can ask that they disregard your house while you evict the tenant, but they will count the rental income as unearned income and deduct that from your award pound for pound. You may still fail the habitual residency test though as others have said.

As you're already here apply and see what happens.

And I believe income from lodgers is disregarded completely.

You are able to get £7,500 pa tax free under the rent a room scheme.

This isn't an ideal solution but could you move back in to the house with the Tennant becoming your lodger?

BTW you will not get social housing if you own a property.

Sorry I didn't realise it had already been suggested.