Help with rent and council tax

tinmachine

My daughter and boyfriend are renting a flat together and are struggling at the moment to pay their bills. My daughter is at college and works 10 hours a week and her boyfriend works 25 hours a week, due to the fact he cannot find a full time job. They are paying £350 per month rent and full council tax. My daughters boyfriend is also paying £90 per month child support to his previous girlfriend. They are struggling to pay the gas and electric bills and have hardly any money left for food each week. Is there any benefits they can claim to help them through this difficult time. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

kingfisherblue

Although the boyfriend cannot find a full time job, is there any possibility that he can get a part time job in addition to his current hours?

tinmachine

My daughter is 22 and her boyfriend is 25. They were just about managing to pay there bills but he recently received a letter to say he must pay £90 child support each month.

k66yla

It may be worth them visiting the local council offices and completing a rent rebate form. They may be entitled to some help if they are both part time.

tinmachine

He has been looking for a full time job, he is currently at tesco's and works as many hours as possible, but he is only contracted to 20 hours a week so some weeks there is no overtime.

HappyMJ

tinmachine wrote: »

My daughter is 22 and her boyfriend is 25. They were just about managing to pay there bills but he recently received a letter to say he must pay £90 child support each month.

Yes he has to pay that as he has a child. He will need to cut down his expenses to provide for his child. Benefits do not replace what you have to pay out in child support. As they work 35 hours between them it is unlikely they will get housing benefit but no harm in trying. He also need to increase his hours to more than 30 then he can claim working tax credits.

paddedjohn

As stated above, the £90 he pays for child support will not be taken into consideration for any claim that they make, he will be treated as still having the cash, (silly system really as they wont affect any benefits the mother receives)

Red_dog_Sam

If your daughter is a full time student at college then they shouldn't be paying full council tax. Full-time is classed as 21 hours a week for 24 weeks. The college would be able to provide a student certificate to send to the Council to claim a Council Tax Student Discount equivalent to 25% for the duration of the course - a reduction which can be backdated to the start of the course. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to part time students.