Housing benefit / mortgage

[MrsGiraffe12]

Not asking for myself but:

Does anyone know if you can get housing benefit when your name is on a mortgage?! My best friends marriage has broken up and her and her 3 kids have to move out of the martial home. Her name is on the joint mortgage but she needs to rent a flat elsewhere x

I cannot see why not.

No you can't when you won half a house , they would expect the house to be on the market. I think it does depend on the equity as pp says.

She might short term, depending on finances, but normally she and the dc would remain in the house while it was up for sale and he rent.

I think she can if she has evidence she has fled the former marital home and that it is up for sale.
Of course when it is sold if she has proceeds greater than the upper capital limits for benefits then the benefits will cease.