Divorce and renting

Buffypaws

We rent a tiny flat, I hate it we have awful noisy neighbors too.
My husband and I want to split we have a daughter.
He gets uni credit as he is unable to work due to ill health this goes on our rent only which is a lot as just outside London.
I work full time and do not earn much all my money goes on car, bills, food etc. Nothing left at end of the month, we haven't had a holiday in 5 years.
I cannot afford to move out to another rented place to take our daughter with us on just my wage.
The local council housing team are unable to help because I work I have to rent privately cant get a council house or even get on the list.
If I rented the same size 2 bed flat I wouldn't be able to eat or pay bills. I work locally and my daughter loves her school and friends so don't want to move out of the area.
Does anyone have any suggestion?
I assume at the moment is to stay where I am until my daughter leaves school (4/5 years left).
Me and my husband live in separate rooms he in living room and me in bedroom with our own TVs. Its awful I just want to move on with my daughter.
My mental health is so poor NHS take ages with assisting any type or therapy.
I also have zero savings so nothing for a deposit.
Has anyone else rented and separated, how did you deal with it?

swingaloo

What does your husband want to do? Can he afford to stay in the flat if you leave as his UC will be dramatically reduced. 
You presumably wont be getting child support from him, how will you manage childcare and working if you live on your own?

Buffypaws

He wants to stay in this flat.
I guess he will have our daughter if I have to work as he is unable to work.
Is there any type or organisation that could help me as a working single parent? 

tacpot12

Have you checked your benefits entitlement if it was just you and your daughter? You might get some help with your rent.  

You can use a benefit calculator. Links to the main ones are available here: Benefits calculators - GOV.UK

As to how you get together a deposit so that you can rent privately with help from Universal Credit; your husband might have to contribute something to this if he wants you to move out. There are potentially local charities that will help with furniture and appliances you might need in a new property. 

FlorayG

If you are willing to leave your daughter with her father you could move into lodgings. While this is nowhere near as nice as having your own place it's a set amount every month and all you have to pay is that rent and your food - there are no utility bills, no repairs, no unexpected household expenses. You would probably have more money spare to spend on your daughter and obviously you would want to be nearby so that you could see her. Remember though you may be required to pay child support to her father (depending on how much you earn)
You might this way be able to save for a deposit to rent a small flat and have time to look for one.
Another thing to be careful of is your current tenancy agreement - are you joint tenants? If you are then you will still be equally responsible for the rent on that flat until your LL agrees to a new tenancy agreement with your ex-partner only

RAS

Do a full benefits check on entitledto.co.uk, based on the assumptions that you move into a 2 bed with your daughter and claim the housing element of UC and whether there would be any CTC. And another assuming you are just renting a one bed or studio on your own. Do check the value of your Local Housing Allowance for your area, and the boundaries of the area first though.

And try delicately to check with your daughter she would want to move with you or not, if you live in the same area. As in "how are you coping with the difficult situation? What would you want?" 

But be very careful about the issue of your existing tenancy. If you move out without your LL granting your husband sole tenancy, you remain liable for both lots of rent. And the LL might not co-operate with your husband's finances.

And do you absolutely need to have the car? Or could you get an alternative job that allows you to get rid of it?

ian1246

Buffypaws said:

We rent a tiny flat, I hate it we have awful noisy neighbors too.
My husband and I want to split we have a daughter.
He gets uni credit as he is unable to work due to ill health this goes on our rent only which is a lot as just outside London.
I work full time and do not earn much all my money goes on car, bills, food etc. Nothing left at end of the month, we haven't had a holiday in 5 years.
I cannot afford to move out to another rented place to take our daughter with us on just my wage.
The local council housing team are unable to help because I work I have to rent privately cant get a council house or even get on the list.
If I rented the same size 2 bed flat I wouldn't be able to eat or pay bills. I work locally and my daughter loves her school and friends so don't want to move out of the area.
Does anyone have any suggestion?
I assume at the moment is to stay where I am until my daughter leaves school (4/5 years left).
Me and my husband live in separate rooms he in living room and me in bedroom with our own TVs. Its awful I just want to move on with my daughter.
My mental health is so poor NHS take ages with assisting any type or therapy.
I also have zero savings so nothing for a deposit.
Has anyone else rented and separated, how did you deal with it?

Is there any specific reason your daughter has to go with you rather than remain with her father in the home, given he's not working and presumably able to provide child-care?

Just because he's a bloke and you a woman, doesn't automatically mean daughter goes with you - his legal rights are exactly the same as yours - it's something you need to be aware of and give due consideration to, since the very last thing you need is a family law battle over the issue as well as everything else. 

Child maintainance will need to be paid by whoever isn't her primary carer.