Help with mortage when non dependant relative is also unemployed?

cw18

I had to start signing on at the start of July, so am currently on the 13 week wait for help with mortgage interest - but they wouldn't actually have given me anything due to the money my 26 year-old son who lives with me was earning.

He's now been told that he's out of work from this coming Friday, so will also be signing on.

I've run various calculations through entitledto.co.uk and it appears that if I lived alone they'd pay £40.74 a week towards my mortgage interest, but because my (now unemployed and on benefits) son lives with me they'll only pay £26.19. And there doesn't appear to be any way for my son to claim anything towards it.

There's no way we'll be able to cover the £14.55 weekly shortfall as well as all the other bills (no expensive phone or TV contracts here, and I've already cancelled all non essentials such as the window cleaner), so is there any way we can get it from the benefits system? I had (clearly foolishly) assumed that because both of us are unemployed and on benefits they'd pay the full amount as if I were living alone. Not doing so seems crazy, as if he were able to move out (almost impossible to find a rental around here unless you're working) it would cost them more as they'd pay me the £40+ and pay his rent.

merlin68

Hell have to pay the shortfall with his jsa. There will also be a deduction on the council tax.

paupratt

He is 26 years old, I am 29 and just split up with my ex so had to move back in with my parents, out of my £73 I get a week £35 of it goes to my mum and dad for rent/electricity/food and £10 goes to my ex who brings my daughter through and picks her up twice a week (25 mile journey and I don't drive).

I have nothing to spend on myself, but I get to see my daughter and have a roof under my head along with internet, food and electricity, if your son isn't giving you atleast half of his JSA then he is taking the !!!! tbh....

cw18

But that's 20% of his benefits. And he'll have another £5 a week to pay towards council tax (on my own I'd have to pay £4 a week, with both of us here the bill will be £9 a week). Means he won't have enough left to cover his share of the household bills, never mind costs involved in looking for work (and neither will I, as I'll have to cover what he can't from mine as best I can).

Seems wrong if they won't pay the same as if I were on my own given they're not having to pay rent for him (which would be a lot more than £14.50 a week).

cw18

paupratt wrote: »

if your son isn't giving you atleast half of his JSA then he is taking the !!!! tbh....

He's going to be giving me more than that. At the moment he pays £185 a month, so that's almost £43 a week - and that's only been to cover what the utility bills went up by when he moved in and food. Now I'm on benefits he's going to have to pay half the utility bills which I suspect will take it up to at least £50 a week, and since doing the calculations it looks like I'll need another £14.50 a week from him on top of that to cover the mortgage interest.

cw18

Just to clarify....

If I weren't also on benefits, then I wouldn't expect him to be able to claim anything to help pay my mortgage interest. But surely if a married/cohabiting couple were both on benefits they'd pay the lot, and the only difference here is that my son's name isn't on the mortgage.

tomtontom

You'll find most claimants have to pay towards their rent or mortgage. Hopefully both of you will be back in work very soon - if he contacts agencies letting them know he is available from Saturday he may not have to claim at all.

bloolagoon

cw18 wrote: »

Just to clarify....

If I weren't also on benefits, then I wouldn't expect him to be able to claim anything to help pay my mortgage interest. But surely if a married/cohabiting couple were both on benefits they'd pay the lot, and the only difference here is that my son's name isn't on the mortgage.

Yes but they'd get the couples rate which is around £30 a week less than 2 x JSA, so you are actually better off

missbiggles1

cw18 wrote: »

He's going to be giving me more than that. At the moment he pays £185 a month, so that's almost £43 a week - and that's only been to cover what the utility bills went up by when he moved in and food. Now I'm on benefits he's going to have to pay half the utility bills which I suspect will take it up to at least £50 a week, and since doing the calculations it looks like I'll need another £14.50 a week from him on top of that to cover the mortgage interest.

Your utilities come to over £450 per month?

cw18

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Your utilities come to over £450 per month?

That includes food. toiletries and cleaning/laundry shopping as well as gas, electricity, water, landline, broadband, council tax (just received the adjusted bill for me not working, now waiting for another adustment for him not working!), buildings and contents insurance (buildings is mandatory with having a mortgage) and central heating breakdown cover (if we were in rental the landlord would have to deal with repairs so I consider this a justifiable expense). It doesn't include a TV licence 'cos I don't have one (legally licence free since the end of 2010) or any streaming services to be used as an alternative (I only watch DVDs, son doesn't watch anything unless he's at a mate's house).

Spendless

Have you spoke to your mortgage provider about taking reduced payments for a while?