Housing advice for single parent please!

nicsky

Hi, I seperated from my husband 4 months ago. He is renting privately and I am currently still in the house taking a mortgage payment holiday. I am on jobseekers allowance and child tax credit, as well as child benefit. My query is to do wiith housing. I have applied for help with my mortgage interest payments but these only start at week 17 I have been told ( I only started claiming jobseekers in October), also I believe this is only temporary and only whilst I am claiming jobseekers allowance. I would like to find a part time job and know I would be entitled to working tax credit, but this won't be enough to pay the mortgage. I have spoken to my husband about maintenance but he is self employed and currently has no gauranteed income, so can't commit to a figure he could pay. This leaves me thinking I need to sell the house, but would then have about 20,000 and would not be entitled to housing benefit. If I rented privately would I be able to claim housing benefit when my income dropped to £16,000? Are there any other options? Any help greatly received because I am very very confused!! Many thanks

DaisyFlower

Would working full time enable you to meet the mortgage payments? If it does, then that is the best route to take. Far better to self support as benefits would be withdrawn at any time from the government. Plus you'll have pride in knowing that everything you have is down to you and not other tax payers.

If you sell the house and intend to rent, then it will pay your rent for a good few years - you surely dont expect to keep the sale profits of £20k and claim benefits do you?

Jelly_legs

Hi,
Sory to hear your marriage is in difficulties. Can`t be easy. I can`t offer any advice about benefits but what sort of mortgage do you have?

When I lost my job due to illness, I switched to an interest only mortgage that drastically reduced my payments which I can now afford (just!)

I can`t ever see me actually see me paying off the mortgage but it saves the upheaval and cost of selling.