Is there a way at all? Mortgage on benefits

Nattylou74

First time buyers 
In receipt of benefits - joint claim but boyfriend only on there cos he's my carer (I have epilepsy). All payments are made into MY account. UC /CB /CA and PIP
BF is on electoral roll and opened a bank account 2 weeks ago. 
House value is 80k
Deposit 20k
Good credit scores

Have had a DIP fall through. Was all OK with just me, but lender wanted to put bf on the mortgage as he's on the benefit claim and we've lived together for 3.5 years. When bf was put on mgage application, it was a no, even though the only thing that changed was his name, everything else is the same.

I appreciate we might have to go through a specialist lender, but will it be at all possible? We live in a 1st floor 2 bed flat, with a 3 year old and a premature newborn. 

Should I take his name off the UC claim?

Any help and advice will be most gratefully received. Thank you 

elsien

Credit score doesn’t matter, it’s your credit history and affordability  levels that are relevant. 

Do you have a 20 K deposit, because would that not be affecting any means tested benefits? Does he not have any other income at all, because you’re saying nothing else changed on the application? What about his credit history?

Just thinking of possible reasons as to why he was turned down, and affordability for each of you either singly or combined. 

Nattylou74

Thank you so much for your help. So basically, the deposit was a gift, so doesn't affect the UC. 
He doesn't have any other income, the benefits are all we have but the carer's allowance is the only part that's "his" if that makes sense.
He doesn't have any credit at all, but he is on the electoral roll, and opened a bank account 2 weeks ago.

marcia_

Nattylou74 said:

Thank you so much for your help. So basically, the deposit was a gift, so doesn't affect the UC. 
He doesn't have any other income, the benefits are all we have but the carer's allowance is the only part that's "his" if that makes sense.
He doesn't have any credit at all, but he is on the electoral roll, and opened a bank account 2 weeks ago.

 Gifts affect Universal Credit. It should have been declared, you are likely to have an overpayment that will be need to be payed back. 

Emmia

Nattylou74 said:

Thank you so much for your help. So basically, the deposit was a gift, so doesn't affect the UC. 
He doesn't have any other income, the benefits are all we have but the carer's allowance is the only part that's "his" if that makes sense.
He doesn't have any credit at all, but he is on the electoral roll, and opened a bank account 2 weeks ago.

It sounds like he may have no history of payments for a lender to look at/consider.

Does he have things like a mobile phone contract? Other bank accounts?

Have you looked at both of your credit files to see what is in there? Not the (meaningless) score, the actual contents?

anmarj

Because you and your boyfriend live together, UC claim has to be joint, if you suddenly declared him has not being your boyfriend then questions would be asked and your claim at risk

CosmicDaisy

I'm not sure where you've got the idea the £20k doesn't effect UC because it's a gift? Surely It would still take you over the savings threshold for means tested benefits and need to be declared.

silvercar

I’m assuming that OP means the deposit is going to be a gift that will only be made for the house purchase and go straight to the solicitor, so OP won’t actually see the money.

silvercar

I would guess that a lack of financial history is the problem for BF.

will move this to the mortgage board.

ACG

If the £20k gift has not yet been gifted and is contingent on buying a home, that might explain why it has not affected the UC claim? 

As for your application, I can only think of 2 lenders who are (or were, its been a long time since I researched anything similar) happy to consider benefits of a sole form of income. Barclays are one of them, the other for the life of me I cant remember. 

Your options are going to be very limited though so it might be worth speaking to a broker. 

elsien

Nattylou74 said:

Thank you so much for your help. So basically, the deposit was a gift, so doesn't affect the UC. 
He doesn't have any other income, the benefits are all we have but the carer's allowance is the only part that's "his" if that makes sense.
He doesn't have any credit at all, but he is on the electoral roll, and opened a bank account 2 weeks ago.

My mother found this when she'd never had any credit - there is no history for them to assess whether he is a good risk or not.  He needs to start building up a history- phone contract, bills in his name, whatever will show that he is responsible.