Advice for son in rented accommodation via county council.

Weirdo109

Don't know what to do to help.

My son and his partner had a baby 6 months ago and lived with us through lock down until first easing when they were able to contact the council.

We live 30 miles/one hour drive away from where her family live and after two months she wanted to go and get their own place, she used to shout at my son all the time that he should do more. Her mum asked them to leave when she was 9 months pregnant so we took them in. Her dad who is separated from her mum didn't offer any help or offer to take them in. It was difficult having them here with a newborn and my son working nights doing shift work for 12 hours then having an hour journey each way. He was doing his best but tired and we were doing the best to help her during the day whilst I was working from home also. We didn't ask for rent/help with cleaning/food and things seemed to be going well but in the end she wanted to get back to see her friends which we didn't want due to social distancing.

She has cut her mum out and now spends a lot of time visiting her dad and his family.

They got a place through the council but my son has to pay two thirds of the rent and all bills and they were both happy as she got what she wanted and he didn't have to travel far to work.

However things have taken a turn for the worse and they are back to arguing and its got to the point she wants him out of the flat.

Neither of them are saints.

He works, he pays all the bills and lets her have days round her friends on his days off.  He has made a lot of bad choices in his short life.

She is a good mum but her life revolves more around her best friend. She has mental health issues

She want him out so she can have the flat to herself and her best friend can move in, this hasn't been said but its pretty obvious. 

For the last two weeks she has been living at her dads and my son was about to leave, I told him not too as if he leaves he will have nothing and will have to go back to travelling again, he will have no life living here as he knows know one and will be sleeping during the day and on his days off will be looking after his son. This is without the demands she is likely to put on to him.

Her dad thinks my son should move out so she can have the flat, this helps him as he doesn't have to deal with her being at his house.

What am I asking is does my son have rights.

We don't want to see her and the boy be out of a home.

We don't want my son to be working all the time and have no quality of life time.

The council have told him the following.

if he stays on his own in the flat and has the boy on his days off he gets no support and will loose universal credit.

if he leaves he will get no help as he is a young male under 35.

If she stays and he leaves she gets all the rent and all the bills paid as she does not work.

He is currently staying in the flat on his own for another two weeks as A the rent is paid and B he has no money left to start travelling back and fourth from our home to work until he gets paid again at the end of the month.

He has even offered to live together purely as friends as he sleeps during the day and she goes round her friends on his days off.

She was fine with this before but now want the flat to herself and know that she is putting him under pressure to move out so it doesn't unsettle his son.

We as his parents are very frustrated that he has gotten into this position but he is being left with little choice.

Sorry if this is all nonsensical and the wrong place I just want the best for my sons future and if he moves out he will not have a chance of getting a home of his own again.
If you can help and advise I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

AdrianC

This is all much more for the relationships board, I think...
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/marriage-relationships-families

greatcrested

Whose name(s) are on the tenancy agreement? If his name is on it

a) he cannot be made to leave

b) even if he leaves he is stilll liable for the rent until the tenancy is ended or asigned to another person's name.

I cannot comment on benefit entitlements.

-taff

WHo is on the tenancy agreement with the council?

Weirdo109

I'm not 100% sure but I think both names are on it.
The tenancy agreement is with a private landlord via the council.

theartfullodger

Court order may mean a person may not enter a property even if they are on tenancy agreement

tacpot12

Really the best thing for your son is to move out, and find somewhere he can afford to rent that is close to where he works. This will be much better for his health. He will be able to find a room in shared house. It won't be great, but will be better than arguing with his ex all the time. You might need to help him with the deposit and even his first month's rent. In his situation, I would suggest that he does not start paying any child maintenance until he has found somewhere to live and paid the deposit and first month's rent. 

He will need to go to the Child Maintenance Service website and use the calculator there to workout what he should pay her for child maintenance, and he should try to pay this as soon as he can. 

Morglin

OP, it’s not your fault...I can only think those who think teenagers and young people ever listen to their parents, have never actually walked the walk.

Young people always know it all lol
But, they are now parents, and they need to grow up and sort themselves out, so they should get some advice.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/ending-a-relationship/if-you-were-living-together/what-happens-to-your-home-when-you-separate/

silvercar

What sort of tenancy do they have? Is it one with a private landlord that the council have helped to facilitate or one with the council that the council have leased the property from a private landlord and then the council have given a tenancy to the couple?
If you son is on the tenancy he is responsible for the rent (even if jointly liable). If he moves out, he should only do so on condition that she takes over the tenancy. Otherwise he will be putting himself in a position of being responsible for the rent and it could effect his credit rating if the tenancy falls into arrears.

AdrianC

John_ said:

...and you seem to have failed him in letting him get into this mess, but what’s done is done

He's a grown adult, and his mother has zero right to interfere in his life beyond offering a little well-meant advice that he's free to ignore.

[Deleted User]

Just another troll.  I apologise OP for the comments made.  They will not be the general view and should not have been made at all.