Separating and Benefits

Louk

My husband and I are separating, I am planning on leaving the marital home with my 14 month old son and falling onto the benefits system while I sort myself out. If we remain separated then the house will eventually be sold but I want to give my stbx a chance to sort himself out and perhaps turn his life around. If he managed this (unlikely) and I decided to move back in would I have to repay benefits? Would I have to submit my share of the house to him during the separation in order to recieve benefits? As it stands I make no real financial contribution to the household at the moment.

suelees1

No you don't repay anything to which you're entitled and no you don't have to relinquish your share of the house in order to be paid benefits although at some point in the near future the DWP will start to expect you to take reasonable steps to realise any capital you have tied up in the property.

AnxiousMum

Louk wrote: »

My husband and I are separating, I am planning on leaving the marital home with my 14 month old son and falling onto the benefits system while I sort myself out. ........... As it stands I make no real financial contribution to the household at the moment.

You do so make a financial contribution to the household! You have provided your ex with a child - now, add up the hours that you spend looking after the child, the hours you spend doing housework in the home, maintaining the family budget, doing the grocery shopping, the laundry, the cooking.......and multiply that by the minimum wage! I'm sorry - but it irks me to see any partner who is a stay at home parent while the other one works, belittle themselves into believing they make no financial contribution to the household.

If you are a stay at home parent, this is likely through the choices that you and your ex have made - therefore, by doing that, your ex has agreed with you that your time is better spent doing all of the above and caring for your child. If you didn't have to do all that you do, I'm sure you could be out in the working world earning a living to contribute in a more direct manner - but as it stands, you certainly have a worth, and you certainly have a stake in the marital home and possessions.

As it stands, by separating, I hope that you will be ensuring that child support is paid by the ex to enable him to contribute his 'share' of the financial contribution to raising your child alone.

Don't put yourself down - you have a real worth as a mum and homemaker - and don't let anybody tell you otherwise!

mcnolegs

OK, I can only speak for Tax Credits but as far as they go - for the period that you class yourself as separated from your partner you're eligible to claim as a single person but if you do reconcile, you need to tell them. It's worth noting that if you don't class yourself as together now you can apply for tax credits as single straight away, you don't need to have physically moved out of the marital home, you just need to class yourself as single (ie both of you living separate lives)