Separation - whats the usual length of time for benefits to kick in?

[NoraAron]

Its looking increasingly likely that I will be separating from my husband within the next few months. I don't earn enough to stay in our current rented house and husband said that we would both have to move to different houses. I've had a look at the Turn 2 Us calculator and it looks like the various benefits I'm entitled to are enough to meet the rent and bills and what I earn will provide the basics such as food and clothes etc.

I need to get some 'proper' advice on whether the amount calculated is realistic (it seems a huge amount of money to me to be given every month) and have a look at my personal earnings and budget.

So, how quickly do these benefits begin once the husband has gone and ceased to pay the majority of the bills? And who would be good for accurate advice on this issue? I need to talk to CAB about my parental rights anyway.

Any advice on this subject or anything else to do with imminent separation would be very much appreciated.

You are entitled to most benefits from the day you claim, although you may have to wait some weeks before you get any money. When the money finally comes through, you receive a backpayment.

Please be aware that turn2us and other benefits calculators are still showing the "old" figures, and calculating your entitlement for 2015/16. From April 2016, tax credits are being reduced, so you could see your income go down considerably. It's worth planning for the long term.

So sorry for what you're going through.

OK, thanks for that. I'm self employed so I know that the whole tax credits thing will be a bit of a nightmare for me. I've never claimed before so its a learning curve, to say the least.