Getting Housing Benefit when my partner (separated) lives in the house we own together — Scope | Disability forum
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Getting Housing Benefit when my partner (separated) lives in the house we own together

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davidlittlewood
davidlittlewood Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited June 2021 in Housing and independent living
I'm a retired male of 68 years and unfortunately I'm separating from my wife.
We own the home we have shared but I  no longer live there.
I did manage to get myself a little flat and used some of my work place pension to make it a home.
I did pay my rent and council tax from my savings but soon found myself needing some help.
I made application for rent and council tax support but was told that I would not get any help because I have a house and told me to make my wife sell it and give me my share.
This is her home so how could I really do that.
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Comments

  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @davidlittlewood - & welcome to the community. This is a difficult situation, & whilst you don't want to force your wife to sell your marital home, it will be considered to be an asset, from what you have said, that you both own.
    I was in a similar yet different situation.... I separated from my husband & left our marital home also buying my own property. We also had a rental property in our joint names, &, altho my husband kept all the income from this, in theory, as far as HMRC were concerned, I was advised by my accountant that I would be perceived by them to be getting half the profits. During this time period I couldn't get any additional help, as in theory I was a joint owner of both our marital home, which I no longer lived in, & this rental property from which I received no income after separating from my husband.
    You perhaps need to disentangle your finances; if you'd rather not, then you may not be entitled to the support you're hoping for.
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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
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    davidlittlewood said:
    I made application for rent and council tax support but was told that I would not get any help because I have a house and told me to make my wife sell it and give me my share.
    This is her home so how could I really do that.
    If you want to claim HB/CTR you have no choice - although once the house is sold you may not be eligible due to the capital you will then have.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
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    Note that if you put the house on the market it can be disregarded as capital for six months while you are trying to sell.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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