Shall I claim benefits while OH works away?

[Noneofyourbusiness1]

Title isn't as it sounds but I'm really struggling financially. OH works away but comes home on Friday leaves again Monday.
He is always late paying the rent landlord usually comes round to tell me it's late.
He is only sending me £50 for the week sometimes even less bills are going unpaid and piling up.

The £50 is usually gone on the first day I do a £40 food shop for me and the kids and £10 petrol. He earns a good wage so I don't understand why he's so mean with this money.

I'm very close to applying for benefits and not telling him but then I'm terrified of being found out and done for benefit fraud.

She says 'OH' not DH, so I thought this is a non-marital arrangement.

In which case, no divorce required. CM would be payable. But OP would only have no income and would the possibly nowhere to live in the short term (whose name is on the rental agreement?)

I think perhaps people who are pointing out how unfortunate it is for the OP that she is about to have another child are spectacularly missing the point. The child was conceived, whether by accident or design, some time ago; will be born in about 1 month, and of course has to figure in OP's plans.

And I think it might be better for her now to think forwards, not rake over the past

And I think it might be better for her now to think forwards, not rake over the past.

Theres nothing in the OP’s post that suggests this is a recent development but rather maternity pay has made the financial situation more accute. I don’t see it as ‘raking over the past’, figuring out why the OP made decisions knowing how precarious her position was, is an important part of not repeating the same mistakes. The current dynamic where the OP has handed so much power over to her twat of an OH needs to change but it won’t, if she’s stuck in this ‘why doesn’t he...?’ handwringing loop.

The child benefit should be going into your account, as you are the main carer. Why is he receiving it? Sort that out ASAP!

Work should be covering his expenses. So what he spent last month, he should have gotten back this month. If he's frugal enough, it would cover everything. It sounds to me like he's more concerned about living the high life when he is away than ensuring things get paid.

Also, if you're not married, I think you should seriously think about going back to work within the next year or so. I would never give up my financial independence without being married.