question about housing benefit under UC and home ownership

[buttertoff33]

I am owning a house with 'D'H (mortgaged).

We don't get on, but he refuses to move out nor is he willing to sell. I really need to get out of this marriage. But I only work part time due to a severely disabled child. I could not cover the mortgage for this house nor would I be able to rent on my low wage. Would I qualify for housing benefit (we are a UC area so no idea how this works) if I am already owning a property?

I think you need to go CAB if you own property (I think) you get loans for hb - its unfair
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/debt-and-money/mortgage-problems/how-to-sort-out-your-mortgage-problems-s/help-with-mortgage-costs-if-you-are-not-working-s/
scroll down page to see the changes from 2018

thanks! goodness, keeping down a job with a severely disabled child is bloody hard and I can only work very few hours. How would I ever pay a loan back. Will see if I can get hold of the CAB. Might be better of just keeping my head down and staying put. At least we are housed that way.

Like mum said, it'd be paid as a loan that only covered your mortgage interest and you only get it after 13 weeks.

Is there equity in the house? You might need legal advice on how to proceed here.

not much equity. maybe 10k but H won't sell in any case and legal fees and moving would probably swallow up most of it. I really cannot afford a solicitor - I have zero savings. never thought it could be so difficult to get out of here. I promised it to me and DC to make things better this year..
Will try to get a face to face appointment with CAB

oh, missed the 13 week wait

If you left you would be able to claim UC as a lone parent and be able to get help towards the rent as long as reasonable steps were being made to sell the house. if you received equity from the house sale then anything above 6k in capital would reduce the amount of Uc you get each month. You cannot claim help from mortgage interest support unless you have been on a qualifying benefit for 39 weeks. I'm not sure what level of Uc you would need to be on to claim it but it's likely you'd only get it if you had no earnings and mortgage interest support is now a repayable loan anyway.

It's not a 13 week wait it's a 39 week wait for mortgage support . On UC if you stayed in the house and took on the mortgage you would get a higher work allowance ( the amount they disregard before your wages reduce your UC). they would disregard the first £409 a month that you earned. If you rented they would disregard the first £198 you earned. these rates will go up significantly from April.

Thank you!

If you divorce him he will have to reach agreement with you over finances - the court will force him and he will probably have to move out to ensure you and the child care housed so that is probably a better route to separating than your moving yourself out. He may have to pay spousal maintenance or pay for childcare for your child so that you can work full time too.

oh, I don't think he earns enough for spousal maintainance and childcare for my child (disabled) is non existing. hence my very part time work. I would love to go back full time but I would have to give her into care.