£100k + Universal Credit?

[NeverGoingToGiveYouUpButIMayLetYouDown]

I want to claim UC as I am no longer able to work due to a progressive illness.

Husband and I are divorcing. I owed him money, from a verbally-agreed loan between us both, so I transferred money to him three months ago. Plus, some of his savings were in my account, so I also transferred this back to him three months ago.

Will Universal Credit look unfavourably at all this - that I transferred £100k to him, and have very little (less than £16k) left over for myself? I have never claimed benefits before, so I am nervous this will be seen as deprivation of capital, despite occuring prior to me making a claim.

The house - we got the keys just when I got sick. I see the property itself as something that embodied bad luck. There was quite a lot of work - some of which was discovered post-exchange - that it required, which remains unfinished. I have not even made it feel like 'home' yet. He says that only he can afford to fund the incomplete building work, and I agree. We have no mortgage - I am jointly on the deeds.

I was simply focusing on my health - I have always been a bit irrational about health woes. I did not care about the divorce/finance split as much as I did my health, hence the stumble of UC eligibility this weekend.

If I am ineligible, I have something to go back to my husband with about why I cannot rely on UC as an option like he says I can.

This is so bogus. I can't believe any woman, however she's brought low, truly believes she has to pay her husband back in this way, just in time to claim UC. You won't get away with it and nor should you.

Are you from a different culture, OP?

You don’t need to tell him anything. Instruct your own divorce lawyer yesterday.

So, OP you've been given the best of advice - you need to take it.

Get legal advice ASAP.

Good luck & let us know how you get on.

🤣🤣🤣

We have no mortgage - I am jointly on the deeds.

You don't get the housing element of UC when you own a house outright with no mortgage. Come now.

Unfortunately a "loan" between married people does not really exist. "His" assets are marital assets.

You should have left the money until the solicitors clarified the split of assets, then aligned with that, so that the paperwork reflected you passing to him what he was legally entitled to.

I can't see why on earth you would do this - unless you were trading to get yourself the family home while retaining lower assets so that you qualified for UC....

Doing this you have likely done yourself out of eligibility for UC. There was money there in your name, unless you had to give it up as part of a divorce settlement it looks awfully like deprivation of assets.

Thank you all. I will be speaking to a new solicitor tomorrow - to go over UC eligibility and the divorce settlement. I have all paperwork of all savings accounts - both mine and his - some in pdf and some in print. I assumed UC will want them so I have them ready. I am not hiding anything from the solicitor/DWP, and will be honest about all transactions and their purposes.

Yes it sounds very dodgy. I don't even believe it's genuine myself. I find it hard to believe someone would transfer £100,000 to the man they were about to divorce. I'd find it odd that you had to borrow money from your husband for medical treatment, even odder that you just happen to have £100,000 to pay it back just before divorce.

How long have you been together OP? From the sounds of it quite a long time.
Plus if you are jointly on the deeds of a mortgage free house you own half of it- your husband needs to buy you out or sell it so you can your share.
I'm glad you're getting your own solicitor- hopefully you'll come out of it ok.
You will be able to apply for PIP if you have an illness (not means tested).

Why do you think the house has to be kept?

What's preventing it from being sold and the proceeds split?

50% of everything, OP.

Just from what you've said here, that's over £100k.

I'm on UC and they asked me why I sent £37 to my son.

They will be all over this.

Is this AI?

This can't be real. You're not eligible for UC and you dont need it as you have at least half of a property plus 50K.

OP, if you jointly own your home outright with your "D"H then you do have capital and assets above £16k which would make you ineligible for means-tested UC.

She also owns half a house! Which is classed as an asset. Very cheap house if half is only £16000!

Go. To. A. Solicitor. Now.

You need to stop focusing on universal credit with your solicitor when you see them tomorrow and focus on not getting screwed over by your ex. You should get half of everything. The 100k for example £50k is yours as when married you share savings and debt.

Ahh so your ex wants to keep the house and all the money for him and his new expecting partner, he’s told you he’ll give you £850 a month (is that from him in not 100% sure), you can keep a car and then he’s told you you can get housing help from UC……. This man isn’t looking out for you. Go get your own solicitor

Please get your own solicitor asap.

There is no such thing as a 'joint solicitor' in a divorce. Each party should get their own legal representation or be unrepresented but they cannot both be represented by the same solicitor. If a solicitor purports to act for husband and wife, the solicitor is violating professional ethics as it is conflict of interest. Please report that solicitor to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Get Your Own Solicitor.

I am guessing it is your STBX telling you that the solicitor is also representing you when in actual fact the solicitor is not and is now properly stitching you up on behalf of your SRBX. Ask the solicitor in writing whether they are representing both you and your STBX. If they say yes, forward that email to the [email protected] and inform the SRA that this solicitor is hired by your husband and claims to be acting for both your husband and you in a divorce and the solicitor is not acting in your best interests and you wish to report them for acting in a conflict of interest.

You also own half a house. How can you possibly have believed that it doesn’t get sold and split! Him having a baby is neither here nor there in regard to your divorce settlement. Stop believing a word he says.

Yes forget about UC, you will never be eligible as you own half a property and have at least 50K in savings. Make sure you get half of everything including his pensions not a second hand car (won't be worth anywhere near 17K unless its very new) and a random monthly amount.

Support yourself from your half of substantial assets rather than taking off the taxpayer. You can still claim PIP regardless of assets if your illness means you have difficulties on a daily basis. once those assets fall below 16k then you can claim UC. Not sure on the situation with the house but if you own half a house that you do not live in you will not be eligible for UC anyway unless steps are being made to sell it.

@NeverGoingToGiveYouUpButIMayLetYouDown he will just stop paying you the £850 when the baby arrives and claim he can no longer afford to pay you spousal support. Unless you are prepared to pursue him through the courts for it, I would recommend that you go for a minimum 50% of assets - house equity, savings/investments (including that £100K) and pension. You will need this if you have a chronic illness. You may be better off going for a PIP claim if your illness is progressive.

How convenient you have just under the savings threshold left.