On this page you will find information about:
- How your entitlement to Service Family Accommodation may change.
- Protecting your financial position.
- Domestic, financial and economic abuse.
If you have separated from your partner and you are worried that they may deal with finances without telling you; or they have taken your children, then you need to think about what you can do to protect your position and take urgent legal advice.
If your partner leaves suddenly with your money or your children, you should take immediate action. Even if your separation takes time, or you are both considering the options, you will need to take steps to protect yourself and your finances.
Where to call in case of a housing emergency?
Helpful Advice and Guidance
Housing
Service Family Accommodation (SFA)
If you separate from your spouse, civil partner or long term partner, your entitlement to SFA might change.
Currently serving personnel, Spouses, Civil Partners and those in a Long Term Relationship (LTR) can use our online guidance to help
them navigate the system.
Service Family Accommodation have a dedicated team who can talk to you about loss of entitlement from retirement, redundancy, discharge, or estrangement.
Email: [email protected]
Find out more about the Loss of Entitlement Team on the GOV.UK website.
Homelessness
If you think your separation may lead to homelessness there is support and guidance available here on the Knowledge Base.
You do not need to be literally roofless to be considered homeless by a council. Eligibility for support can include living in unsafe housing or ‘sofa surfing’.
Applying for council/social housing
If you think that after your separation you may need to find new accommodation council housing, also known as social housing, may be an option.
Guidance has been published which strongly advises local authorities to support people who are living
in a refuge or similar accommodation after fleeing domestic violence. This means that you may be exempt from residence requirements, such as local connections.
If you decide to apply for council housing, you may need to apply through local councils. You will be able to find out more about areas, their eligibility criteria and how to apply using the links below.
- If you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland you can begin your application for council housing through the GOV.UK website.
- If you live in Scotland you can begin your application for council/social housing through the mygov.scot website.
Housing Benefit
Your separation may leave you with unmanageable financial outgoings. Housing Benefit may be able to support you to pay for all or part of your rent.
Find out more about Housing Benefit including eligibility criteria on the GOV.UK website.
Citizens Advice have a handy guide to help you check if you are eligible for Housing Benefit.
Use the Citizens Advice guide to work out if you are eligible for Housing Benefit on their website.
If you have children and are struggling with your finances, we have guidance available on the Knowledge Base which may be able to help you.
Protecting your financial position
If your separation is sudden, you may be worried about your finances, especially if you have joint bank accounts or deeds, leases, bills, and other agreements in one person’s name. It is important to protect yourself as soon as possible.
Armed/Reserve Forces Pension Schemes
When you are part of the Armed Forces Community and separating from a spouse or civil partner the Pension is the biggest assets to discuss. This should be settled before the divorce or dissolution of a partnership is finalised. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has guidance available to support you through this process.
Learn more about Armed Forces pensions and separation on the GOV.UK Website.
Your pension may be affected if you are going through a divorce or dissolving a civil partnership. The Ministry of Defence provides guidance to support you including what your pension may be worth, past case examples and answers to frequently asked questions.
Visit the GOV.UK website to find out more about Armed/Reserve Forces Pensions.
Or read:
- Armed Forces Pension Scheme pension sharing on divorce factors on GOV.UK.
- Pensions on divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership charging regime on the GOV.UK website.
- Pension benefits on divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships on GOV.UK.
- Armed Forces Pension arrangements pension sharing on divorce on the GOV.UK website.
Domestic, Financial and Economic Abuse
Domestic and financial abuse are crimes and should be reported to the police. Domestic abuse can take many forms and there is specific support and guidance for the Armed Forces community.
- Find out more about where you can access help as a member of the Armed Forces community on GOV.UK.
- Visit the Government MoneyHelper website for more information about how to protect yourself from financial abuse.
Everyone has the right to make independent financial decisions. If your partner, family member, carer, or anybody else is controlling your financial affairs, then this is economic abuse. Always remember you are not alone. There are places to go for help and support and things you can do.
Economic abuse can take many forms and involves an abuser restricting a person’s ability to acquire, use and maintain money or other economic resources. It includes:
- controlling your money or other financial assets
- spending your money
- damaging your possessions or property
- putting debt in your name
- preventing you from accessing education or work, and
- withholding child maintenance payments.
Find out how to identify economic abuse on the Refuge website.
Get in touch
Organisations that support women
Visit the National Domestic Abuse Helpline website to chat online, or
Telephone: 0808 2000 247
The service is available for free, in confidence, 24 hours a day from a team of highly trained female advisers.
Fill in a contact form to request a call back from the Helpline team.
The service is available 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Organisations that support men
Visit the Respect - Men’s Advice line website to chat online, or
Telephone: 08088 010 327
The service is available 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK. Your call will not appear on itemised bills. You can also call free from BT pay phones.
Email: [email protected]
The service is available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Support from the Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion (RBL) is here for people in the Armed Forces community impacted by domestic abuse. We might be able to support you by:
- advocating for your rights and needs
- providing initial guidance and financial support to help you move to a safer location
- providing information, practical support and guidance on support from specialist Domestic Abuse agencies
- making a referral to your local specialist services
We are unable to support by providing formal safety planning advice or legal advice.
To find out more about the support the RBL could offer you, contact us via
Telephone overseas: +44 (0)20 3376 8080
Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks
Email: [email protected]
