If we separate what happens with the house?

[gregssausageroll]

It takes the 2of us to pay the mortgage and we could never afford to buy each other out so it would need to be sold. Given the market that could take a year or more.

Say for instance I stayed here while it was on the market am I right in saying there is no housing benefit when you own your own home so there would be no help on that front?

I think a split is coming. It is amicable. But the house worries us both because it takes 2 to pay for it and neither could afford rent and supporting half a house.

Why will it take a year or more to sell. If you get the price right, it won't. I guess you have to keep paying for it until it's sold. Will you split it 50/50? Do you have kids? You might be able to stay in it until they reach a certain age.

Because it will. It is the area I live in. Most stuff takes a year or so to sell. Some quicker but a year is about right.

Yes, we have one child together.

Try putting your details into this benefit calculator

I can give you an indication of what you may be entitled to. I have no experience with Housing Benefit though, sorry. I hope you are ok.

We only managed it as XH stayed with his parents and carried on paying his share of the bills as usual. We were fortunate to have turned a sale around in 4 months. Is that an option? We too were amicable, so he came back to look after the DC on his access weekends whilst I stayed elsewhere, it worked well for us.

Unfortunately I don't know about the housing benefit rules for this reason. Good luck!

If it is amicable could you just not have seperate rooms, and yes this may mean dc sharing with one of you, then your child gets to see both of you lots, and then you can wait while it sells. You maybe best to make up some ground rules at the start re new partners not staying, childcare and things like bills etc but that would seem better than selling cheaper for a quick sale. Also you could speak to your mortgage company they could look at a few options such as paying interest only, payment breaks or extending the term to reduce payments.

If one if you moves out into rented while waiting for the house to sell, they can claim HB. The claim stops when the house sale completes. Might that help?

Thanks. Unfrotunately, no family to live with so we either make do until the house is sold or one of us moves out into rented if we can get help with HB. Thank you all.