Housing advice needed please

[joancassied]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice about my current situation and housing options.
I have recently left my husband with my 2 young children (2 and 4) after years of neglect, emotional and financial abuse and his excessive alcohol abuse. We are staying with my mother and brother in a 2 bedroom flat which is obviously overcrowded and unsuitable long term. My husband and I own a property which we are almost ready to complete the sale on but now I have left him he is saying he is going to return to the property and pull out of the sale (we have been living with father in law while selling our home). Without selling the house I can't apply for local authority housing, once I am in receipt of universal credit many landlords won't allow me to rent privately and I won't have enough income to buy again with my deposit from the sale (if it happens)! So at the moment I feel like I'm just stuck in my mothers flat. Surely there must be other options? 😢

You could go into a refuge or speak to domestic violence services for advice?

Have you exchanged contracts ?

I haven't considered a refuge because I'm at my mothers and we have signed our transfer and completion contracts but as my husband hasn't completed some of the work that was agreed before it isn't legally binding until it is done. And he's saying to me that if we aren't all together he's not going to allow the sale to go through 😭

You need legal advice as soon as possible. This is an attempt by him to control you and try to force you to come back. If he’s not being cooperative you will have to go down the legal route I’m afraid, unless you can persuade him to change his mind.

I do feel for you, I’m a similar position with an abusive ex who has effectively forced me and my son from our home and is dragging his feet in a desperate attempt to control me. I’m staying with family and I’ve had to reason myself to this taking a while (because it’s a slow process).

Speak to a solicitor at your earliest opportunity. But yes, you may be stuck at your Mother’s flat for the time being, as hard as that is to hear.

You’ve said he’s financially abusive. He’s reverting to type here and using this as a tool to try and control you. Don’t let him. Don’t let him, grit your teeth and pursue this through the legal channels. You’ll get there. One step at a time.

If he refuses to allow the sale, you'd have to apply to the court for and order for sale. It would delay everything and cause extra expense, but it could be done.

In the meantime, you could think about private renting. Some landlords will allow tenants on benefits. Maybe your DM would help with the deposit.

The court can order the sale. If there's abuse you may be able to get housing cost help, or a loan to be paid out of equity. It's also possible to have him removed from the house and you stay until the sale goes through. You need legal help

You are entitled to LHA & other benefits as long as you don’t have other savings. You can get help as long as you only own one property. Once it’s sold you will have to decide on your next step aka purchase a new home with the money, so you would not get LHA but you will get other benefits if you don’t work with young children.
Speak to a benefits advisor x

'once I am in receipt of universal credit many landlords won't allow me to rent privately '

Itcan be a bit of a rigmarole, I did it by giving my then ex/best friend as a reference, buut you can lie and tell them you have a job. Then they'd have no way of knowing you're having to claim benefits. Some might see it as wrong, but as you say, a lot of landlords won't accept someone who has to claim, so there's not really an alternative sometimes.

There are some landlords who accept DSS, but the housing tends to be quite crap, poor heating etc.

Please don't lie to a prospective landlord because the truth will come out when they do pre tenancy checks.

Even if you get put on the LHAlist it could be a very long time before you are offered anything

It’s never instantaneous

@CodyBurns I won't give in. I've taken years of his rubbish and I'm done. I will seek some legal advice on Monday and I will do what I have to do. Thank you x

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it, hearing from you all has really made me feel a bit stronger. I will seek some legal advice and query a court order and I will speak to my LHA about my situation and what help I may be able to get. I work part time so will need to also apply for some sort of benefit I assume will be universal credit.