financial help after separation

Hi,

I have separated from my husband and we are currently trying to sell our house which as you can imagine is quite difficult at the minute. Living together is not working out so one of us needs to move out. I work part-time and earn circa 15k. My husband earns circa 60k and will be paying maintaince towards our kids. As we cannot sell the house at the min money will be tight as another house will have to be rented. I was wondering if I moved out would I be able to get any state benefit to help with rent and running of a second house or if my husband moved out would I be able to get any help to maintain the house we currently own.... House is in both names.

Any advise would be great

Hi Icepop,

I'm in the same situation and feel for you! Its really hard. I'm presently still in the house because we can't sell it at the moment and its really hard. But i can't afford to move out because i can't afford rent.

So anyone with information on this would be greatly appreciated.

I hope everything works out for you Icepop

thanks wanda. i hope things get sorted for you too.

You would have to be living apart for 3 months before you would be entitled to OPF payment or rent allowance. If you remain in the house you will only get help on the interest part of your mortage they wont pay anything towards the capital. So for example if your mortage is €1000 and €700 of this is interest, you would only get a percentage of the €700. What they pay will depend on what income you have coming in to the house.

If you are working 3 day or less you can apply for jobseekers, and you might be entitled to FIS as well, depending on your income, but i'm not sure if the 3 months applies to jobseekers and FIS.

You wouldn't be able to claim, OPF, FIS and jobseekers because of income limits, it might take a bit of figuring out which would make you better off. You should apply for OPF and then see with your income if it would be better to claim either jobseekers of FIS. If you work over 3 days then FIS would be the better option. The citizens advice website has all the income limits and allowance that apply to the amount of children you have. And it will also tell you if there is anything else that might be able to help you out.

Their websit is http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories

Pretty sure you can't apply for rent allowance while you own a property.. you may be entitled to mortgage interest supplement, pretty sure some of your income is assessable for this though

My SIL has just been approved for rent allowance of 995 per month for her and her child. she moved out of the family home 3 weeks ago.. She found out her husband was having serial affairs with different woman last March and they spilt up but he wont move out of the house.. 3 weeks ago she had enough and has been moving from friends to friends house. He works, she doesnt. She went to relieving office every other day and just kept asking and asking for help... She is a very proud woman but she had to do this.....
Yesterday they approved it and also a medical card for her and her child.
So yes you can get it, you just have to keep going to them with evidence that you are not coping etc.
she is like a different person since she moved out, he was a big bully. Now her courtdate is in Nov and I hope go god she gets everything out of him, he is evil, the house the lot..........