Petition · Ministry of Defence

UC must cover housing costs following marriage breakdown in forces accommodation

Open for signatures 27 signatures

What the petition asks

Following marriage breakdown in families living in in forces accommodation, the party occupying the property while seeking alternative accommodation can be classed as a 'trespasser', and may therefore be ineligible for support with housing costs through Universal Credit.
This can make it incredibly difficult for spouses going through a marriage separation. The word 'Trespass' means Universal Credit will often not help with the housing element of Universal Credit, so the spouse is eligible for the full cost. The spouse is given a breakdown of this cost for example water, council tax, garage rent, house rent and are expected to pay this rent and charges. This can leave families in financial difficulty, in debt when already struggling.

Timeline

20 Feb 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 27
Status Open for signatures
Department Ministry of Defence
Opened 20 Feb 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.