Could someone basically tell me what I am entitled to here?
My partner and I are separating. Its highly amicable, a bit complex but in essence relates to sexuality. Both us are prioritising the kids and them maintaining a relationship with both of us. We have three kids, all junior school age.
My partner earns around 65k net. I am currently a student and will graduate next year. He is happy for me not to work and finish studying. The current plan is to buy a large house either converted into two flats already or convert it, and that seems possible locally for around what our current house is worth, amazingly. He's open to either putting the second flat in my name, or not, however it works best (I probably could not get a mortgage alone atm). In practice, because he works away from home often and does long hours, including at short notice, my guess is that the kids will live with me but have their dad literally on the next floor.
There's a few things I can't work out. I make it that his child maintenance payments "should" be £150 a week. (In practice, I would imagine he might pay more, but some of that would be stuff like mortgage payments and utilities, so that figure seems about right.). So, assuming I have no income, am I entitled to any benefits? Specifically, am I entitled to tax credits, council tax benefit and child benefit? With regard to the last, we currently claim and he repays, to protect my pension-he's clear that he will continue to do this if needed but obviously we'd both rather not. I am pretty sure that I am not entitled to anything benefits-wise for me, as I am not currently jobseeking and will not be til I graduate.
If there is anything else I haven't thought of that would be great. I'm not sure what we will actually do money-wise. I'd rather NOT be claiming, honestly, but I'd also like to get a sense of the lie of the land.