Housing Allowance?

yellow_iris

Hello. I was advised to post here to get advice on my entitlement (if any) to benefits.

I'm in a tricky situation. I'm divorcing my husband (due to verbal and emotional abuse). He has said he will move out and looked at places but still hasn't gone after 5 months. (He has at other times when he's angry said he'll never go until forced.) I feel very pressured and think he has no intention of actually leaving so have been looking at rental property myself. We own our house outright- recently valued at £300k. I don't work- have cared for 3 children full time for years, aged 8, 10 and 12. Middle son gets high rate DLA and I get carers allowance. Children were taught at home but started school in September. I am looking for work that will fit around their needs but nothing yet.

Husband is high earner but stopped paying into joint account 3 months ago and I have had to pay all bill from my savings. My solicitor is supposedly sorting that out.

I have right now £16k in savings and £9k in an ISA. I know I can't get income support with these savings and only just learned that my house capital is taken into consideration too after 26 weeks.

Does this also mean I am ineligible for housing benefit?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Indie_Kid

You'd be ineligible for local housing allowance anyway, because your savings are too high.

yellow_iris

sh1305 wrote: »

You'd be ineligible for local housing allowance anyway, because your savings are too high.

Yeah that's what I thought. I was hoping to move to a rented place but think I will just have to put up with him as I can't afford to go and am not eligible to help.

Jowo_2

Contact Womens Aid - they can provide advice on benefits, housing and your rights as they are an organisation that assist those experiencing domestic abuse (which isn't just about physical violence but is also about verbal abuse, being financially disadvantaged and so on). Is your husband trying to force you out of the property by not paying any household expenses?

http://www.womensaid.org.uk/

In the thread in the housing forum, you indicated you have a solicitor working on a financial settlement - what plans have they suggested for the property and are they are aware your husband is abusive? If so, what legal remedy have they suggested?

This benefit forum regularly has threads that start out as simple benefit entitlement questions but then it transpires that an angry spouse is punishing the partner and children by trying to starve or frighten them out of the property, refusing to pay any maintenance, harassing them to leave the property and so on.

There's a child support forum on MSE which could help you understand his obligations, though its a bit of a shame if you are paying a solicitor to help you but end up doing all the legwork yourself...

yellow_iris

Jowo wrote: »

Contact Womens Aid - they can provide advice on benefits, housing and your rights as they are an organisation that assist those experiencing domestic abuse (which isn't just about physical violence but is also about verbal abuse, being financially disadvantaged and so on). Is your husband trying to force you out of the property by not paying any household expenses?

In the thread in the housing forum, you indicated you have a solicitor working on a financial settlement - what plans have they suggested for the property and are they are aware your husband is abusive? If so, what legal remedy have they suggested?

This benefit forum regularly has threads that start out as simple benefit entitlement questions but then it transpires that an angry spouse is punishing the partner and children by trying to starve or frighten them out of the property, refusing to pay any maintenance, harassing them to leave the property and so on.

There's a child support forum on MSE which could help you understand his obligations, though its a bit of a shame if you are paying a solicitor to help you but end up doing all the legwork yourself...

Have been with local Women's Aid for a few years but mostly to work around the personal stuff rather than finances. The local branch can give general advice only it seems. Have just called my solicitor again and await his call back. I am fed up with all the delays. He knows there's abuse but says I can only force OH to leave if he acts in a way to warrant an Occupation Order and he's far too clever to do that.

Yes OH is punishing me about the money and it will only get worse. I could pay for the rent from savings but worry that until he is forced to pay maintenance I will not have enough left over to live off. Just sitting here doing sums and I still can't figure it out. I will wait to see what the solicitor says. He MUST sort this out for me and the children soon as it's intolerable.

The solicitor has advised against leaving but he's not the one living in this poisoned atmosphere which is affecting the children badly much as I may try to hide things. D12 is starting to play up.

It may be that I lose out on this rental place but at least looking at it has forced me to take a good look at things overall and given me the push to get them sorted.

Oldernotwiser

yellow_iris wrote: »

Yeah that's what I thought. I was hoping to move to a rented place but think I will just have to put up with him as I can't afford to go and am not eligible to help.

Can't you sell the house and buy something with your half of the equity?

Don't forget to factor child maintenance into the equation; if your husband's a high earner and you have 3 children it should be quite substantial.

yellow_iris

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Can't you sell the house and buy something with your half of the equity?

Don't forget to factor child maintenance into the equation; if your husband's a high earner and you have 3 children it should be quite substantial.

Yes we could but the market is so bad right now that selling might take ages and I really don't want to have to live with him until that happens. Imagine the stress of nasty OH, angsty pre-teen and a very disabled 10 yo. Yuk. Will have to see what the sol says when he manages to get back to me.