seperated need advice on benefits

dgmelton

Hi if someone could please offer some advice I would be gratefull. I have been made redundant and although I am still in the same house as my husband we are seperated. I need some advice re once the house sells would I be able to claim any benefits (if i dont secure a job) i am so stressed worrying how I would pay the bills etc. I would also like to return to college to do an access to healthcare course but have been told i would not get any funding to do this so would not have a penny comming in to buy food, bills etc so just dont know how I would survive....... can anyone offer some advice thank you:o

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi, firstly I am sorry that you are having a difficult time. I'm not an expert but I am sure that someone else will be along soon who knows (a lot!) more than me.

I see from your other thread that you are currently in receipt of contribution based JSA. That will last for 6 months. If by then you are living apart from your OH you will go onto income based JSA (as far as I know you can't get it while you are living with him, even if you are separated, but someone will be along to confirm/refute that).

You don't have to wait until the house sells before you can move out. If you check your local LHA allowance and find somewhere within that amount, your rent and CT will be paid while you are on JSA and you may possibly get a contribution even once you are working, depending on your income, even if you are a part owner of the former matrimonial home. If you are under 25yrs you are only entitled to a room in a shared house, and I believe that will change in April for new claimants, to under 35yrs.

As far as college is concerned, you may have to work to support yourself while doing the course and/or consider doing the course part-time. Unless you can find work in that area which will allow you day release and/or contribute towards the cost of fees etc.

It is worth going to the turn2us website and inputting different data depending on the possible different circumstances, and see what comes up.

As for

dgmelton

Hi thanks for the advice, I am not moving out until the house is sold, I have two children (well young adults) living at home, my daughter is at uni and my son is unemployed waiting to go off to uni in manchester in september. I can only get contribution based job seekers for 6 months which is up end of june and then I have been told due to the capital in our matrimonial home i cant have job seekers, which is total crap because I need to buy another home which I cant get a mortgage on because I dont earn any money, and if i buy a home i cant pay the bills, what a total mess. i am looking for work all the time and definatley would like to be able to work part time through a full time college course but and really worried if i dont find anything i cant pay my bills.

MsHoarder

Whilst you live under the same roof as your husband, his income will be considered for all means-tested benefits. There may be career development loans you can access, but that would mean more debt, on top of being trapped in the house with your husband.

Afraid that unless you can move out it may be best to get a job instead of doing the course, unless you can afford to live on the redundancy money.

pandaspot

Housing benefit will only disregard the value of the house for 26 weeks while selling it, but this can be extended if you ask. Lha rates for a single person will not change to 35 until April 2012.

Have you got children?

If you were a student with no children you would not get any housing or council tax benefit. But if you have children you would qualify.

Are you claiming council tax benefit at the moment?

nannytone_2

full time students are exempt from council tax.

animum

you may be eligible for help with the access course..I did the exact same course in 2000, so a while ago, plus extra help with travel costs which I wasnt even aware of, until the paperwork landed in front of me. the best thing you can do is ask the college themselves. obviously it may have changed since I did it. I had no children at the time. I had to go from full time to part time work, but im fairly sure I didnt have to pay anything for that course. I dont know if typical student age people would have to.. give them a call..you have nothing to lose.

zzzLazyDaisy

pandaspot wrote: »

Housing benefit will only disregard the value of the house for 26 weeks while selling it, but this can be extended if you ask.

When my cousin was in this position the value of the house was disregarded for the whole time they were selling the house (about 18 months) as her ex was still living in it. The 26 weeks only kicked in once the house had been sold and the money released, which gave her time to buy a place of her own.

However this was a couple of years ago, so I accept things may have changed since then.

pandaspot

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

When my cousin was in this position the value of the house was disregarded for the whole time they were selling the house (about 18 months) as her ex was still living in it. The 26 weeks only kicked in once the house had been sold and the money released, which gave her time to buy a place of her own.

However this was a couple of years ago, so I accept things may have changed since then.

It depends on how difficult it is to sell property in the current Market, hb staff can use there discretion

See the below

If you own your home [HB Sch 6.1, HB(SPC) Sch 6.26; CTB Sch 5.1, CTB(SPC) Sch 4.26]
The value of your property (including the house, garage and outbuildings) is not counted unless any part of the property could reasonably be sold off separately. Loans raised on the property will be counted as capital (but you will not be expected to raise loans if you do not wish to).

Property you own but do not occupy [HB Sch 6, HB(SPC) Sch 6; CTB Sch 5, CTB(SPC) Sch 4]
The value of this property is counted as capital but you may be able to get HB/CTB even if the value of the property means that your savings are more than £16,000. This is because the value of the property may be ignored when your savings are worked out, in certain circumstances.

If the property is occupied by an elderly or disabled relative as their home, its value is not taken into account for as long as it is so occupied.

If you have recently acquired the property and you intend to occupy it as your home, its value may not be counted for 26 weeks, or for a longer period if reasonable, from the date you acquired it.

If you are trying to sell the property, its value may not be counted for the first 26 weeks after you start doing this. It may not be counted for longer than this if you are finding it difficult to sell the property.

If you are carrying out essential repairs or alterations so that you can live in the property, its value may not be counted for a period of 26 weeks from the date you first arranged for repairs to be carried out. It may not be counted for longer than this if you are finding it difficult to finish the work.

If you are taking legal action so that you can live in the property, its value may not be counted for the first 26 weeks after you start doing this. It may not be counted for longer than this if legal action is continuing and you cannot live in the property.

If you have left the property after the breakdown of a relationship, and it is occupied by your former partner, its value may not be counted for the first 26 weeks after you left. If the property is occupied by your former partner and they are a lone parent, the property will not be counted for as long as it continues to be so occupied.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/rr2-a-guide-to-housing-benefit/working-it-out/income-and-capital/

pandaspot

nannytone wrote: »

full time students are exempt from council tax.

I am not sure if you were saying this to me? But I am totally aware of this, just the op hasn't started college yet, and has no job. Checking she is getting what she is entitled to now.

dgmelton

thank you everyone for your replies, I will talk to college again to see if they can help, they told me when i applied that all funding was changing and they couldnt advise until september! but i would have to pay the 1000 fee myself. i have asked at jobcentre and newdeal and they told me no funding is available while i do the course i would have to fund it myself. So heres hoping that i can get at least a part time job.