To cut a long story short i am seperated[nothing legal] i live in property morgaged in my name, ex and i also own another joint property we rent out, my health is not good and i am on sick leave from work if the worst comes to the worst and i couldn,t work can i claim housing benefit for the property[morgaged] i am living in even though i jointly own another property which is rented out[in current housing market] it is impossoble to sell.desperate help advice please

Any Social Security Benefits are quite simple to assertain if you are eligable:

Start here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/ DG_10018926

which has a ­link­ to checking if you're eligible with your local council:

http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=69&LGIL=0&ServiceName=Check+your+eligibility+for+Housing+Benefit+with+your+local+council

If you have savings over £16,000 then it's unlikely; if you have a low income (which would include the rental income probably) you could get other benefits: reduced Council Tax etc... I'm not sure how it works with the luxury of a second property!?

Maybe you can be so kind as to post an Outcome/Update to your post; since we all learn from others' experience.

Hmmm, not 100% sure about this, but i think its unlikely you can claim housing benefit to pay the mortgage on the house your living in...as otherwise we'd all be doing it
Worst case scenario is that you end up claiming Income Support as a sick person and then there is a qualifying period usually 39 weeks before the interest is met on your mortgage by IS. This period is changing next April on Job Seekers Allowance to 13 weeks, in response to the credit crunch and people struggling to meet their mortgages.

If youre claiming IS however, depending on the rent being offset by the mortgage you have to pay out, the income from the other property may be disregarded..and would not affect your en­title­ment. The capital value of the property may also be disregarded, if there are divorce proceedings preventing the sale of the property or indeed there is no capital value (negative equity).
I would always advise speaking to the the local CAB or welfare rights group in your area, as they will be able to provide more tailored advice.
Hope your on the mend soon though.
Kind Regards
SG

Hi thanks for the replys im not trying to have my cake and eat it ie with the luxery of two propertys sorry if i came across like that. the rent on the second property do not cover the morgage so i am still paying towards the morgage on the second property and the morgage on the property. i am still living in,it is impossible to sell second property [we did try] we had it up for sell, but in the current market we would have been giving it away.I am struggling fiananially any way even though i am working[ off sick at present] i just wanted to know if the worst happened and i couldnt work and had to go on benefits would the rent on second property[even though it do cover morgage] effect me if i claimed housing benefit [ie interest only] on the property i am living in. if it didnt i would have to walk away from the second property ie give it to stbx so i sink and he is laughing all the way to the bank[ he wants me to sign it over to him as he knows i am struggling ther is little profit in it at the moment but i am sure that will change in the future SORRY TO GO ON A BIT but it just dosnt seem fair