Partners ex and universal credit

[Mumtotwoboys121]

Hi all
I have two children with my partner. He has an ex wife who he has two older children with and they own a house together.
Shes had a new partner living there since they split (6 years ago) and she had a baby soon after.
I have looked into universal credit and we would be entitled , but now I’ve just found out potentially we wouldn’t be because he owns the house with his ex and she isn’t a lone parent, but his kids live there.
there’s no plans to sell the house until the youngest is 18 which is 9 years away.
is there any way around this?

Maybe he tells the ex that because she is blocking the UC application by refusing to co-operate, He and you, and your kids are moving into the house they jointly own...

And he’d be within his rights too. Since he owns it.

The important point is not that your partner has a share in the property but the value of that share. If it's occupied by somebody who refuses to move then the value may be nil.

Normally its value can be disregarded for 6 months while steps are taken to sell. The first of those steps, in a situation like this, is to get legal advice on your options. DWP can extend that six months if the steps being taken are reasonable.

This can, if you get into the undergrowth of property valuation, get complicated. Speak to an organisation like Citizens Advice or a Law Centre so you can get a clear view of your choices looking ahead. .

My ex got universal credit before our divorce was finalised and he was taken off the deeds/mortgage (I bought him out). He just didn't qualify for housing payments as he technically owned a property, even though living in it was not an option for him. He has not bought another house though, maybe it's different if you're not renting?

It’s all so confusing. They are already divorced but it wasn’t amicable at all, he wanted to sell then but at that point she asked for two more years (kids were 3 and 7) so of course he agreed. Now we are here.
We are going to seek advice. Thank you. We would prefer if they raised a certain amount of funds to buy him out. He is not on any other mortgage either.

He needs to force a sale of this property . If not , leave him and claim uc yourself

I’m not sure why you would suggest that. Thanks for your opinion though. I wouldn’t be any better off being a single parent, he contributes over and above to the house we are in now and is a fantastic dad.
At the time of their split, he thought he was doing the ‘right thing’ by his kids. But yes, he does need to force a sale. But I would never split up with him because of it.

So he doesn't mind forcing them to leave their home, only the fact his daughter might hold him accountable for dong so? Got it.

He doesn’t want to force a sale. If you read the other comments he would prefer them to stay in the property. Like I have previously said, things aren’t very amicable and the last thing he wants (and I want) is for her to be telling the kids all sorts that isn’t true. Bottom line is that he is entitled to come off the mortgage and move on with his life if someone else has been living there for the past 6 years

It isn’t his fault that his ex hasn’t gotten her act together in the last 6 years.

This is why the recommendation is to get a proper consent order and deal with the finances as part of the divorce. It sounds like they kicked that into the long grass. And that means he’s now housing her new partner and your household can’t claim UC.

Is there a court order or just an agreement?

He could buy her out so the kids don't have to move out.

The new bf could always move out, so the ex has got a choice. Not OPs partner's fault.

What a mess, a bloke has two kids , divorces and then has two more kids and then wants UC but can’t because he owns a house..as I said a mess!