Private Landlords and Housing Benefit - direct payment?

Annisele

I think this is more of a relationships question that a finance one. *If* you can afford it, then the question is really "do I want to". (If you can't afford it, don't - but it sounds as though, with sacrifies, you possibly could).

Financially, it's a dozy thing to do. But then from a purely financial point of view, having children in the first place is dozy. Once you've got them, they cost money - even when they're 17/18 and fledgling adults.

If she can't get a guarantor, then it's unlikely she'll be able to rent anywhere. So - does she actually want to live in the "entirely suitable" place? If not, can she move in with you?

It seems harsh for her Dad to not stand guarantor and not offer to let her live with him. She has to live somewhere, and she's still (IMO) young enough that he ought to be partly responsible for funding the somewhere.

BigAunty

You could show him information on the local council website that should prove that HB is usually paid directly to the tenants and is only paid directly to the landlord when the council believe that the tenant is too vulnerable to pay (such as learning difficulties, history of debt or addictions).

I think on the benefit forum you mentioned they were in part time work? If you have a look at the Turn2us online benefit calculator, you can identify that while they may qualify for HB and council tax discount due to low income there's no other kind of income top ups available for them until they have the child. So how much do they take home each month?

Until they have the child, they will not qualify for tax credits.

Also, they won't qualify for the 2 bedroom rate of HB until the child is born. Check out how much more the rent is than their HB and their true net income from employment pre-baby and employment and benefits post-baby. This should identify how much of their employment and benefit income they will need to put towards the rent (many properties are above the HB rate but hopefully they haven't been daft and sought a tenancy on one which costs a lot above).

Perhaps a display of their income versus basic outgoings might show your husband they could struggle to manage, and if they do, he could be picking up the tab.