Some Legal Advice Please

[phleb]

My friend has been left half a house in inheritance. She can’t afford to buy it outright so if She lived in there, could She get housing benefit to pay the joint owner rent for staying there? How does this work as she has a probate? And is a single parent to quite a few kids lol Thanks

[bobbinwales]

Does she already have a house?

[phleb]

She fled domestic violence and had a joint house with the abuser and he lives there. She can’t pay the mortgage off as he took all the money as she paid it all off initially with her savings and then he remortgaged it and made her sign the paperwork under duress 10 years ago

[bednobs]

it seems unlikely on the face of it, however, why doesnt she get a tenant to pay the other half, or sell the house/get the other person to buy her out?

[-SharonA-]

Why don't she rent it out?

[phleb]

It’s the right size for her and she couldn’t afford to buy another that size hence hoped she could live there. She works part time, always worked. The joint owner doesn’t mind her living there until she can get a mortgage to pay for it, however she has an IVA so can’t get a mortgage yet and despot want to stay there for free, but can’t pay rent with what she earns

[phleb]

*doesn’t

[bednobs]

it seems unlikely to me that if she already has a mortgage with the ex partner, she'll be able to get another one especially if she only works part time.
Does she pay rent now?

[THECORBYLOON]

Why would she need to pay rent to live in a house she owns half of?

[bednobs]

presumably beause she wants to live there by herself and the other owner/s does not want to live there, so she needs to rent the other half from them

[AuntPG]

It really depends on the location and price of this house.
the benefits system is there to support the needy, not property owners, so its unlikely she will be successful. I think the Benefits system will not allow someone who owns property and has a mortgage to get Housing Benefit. She could ask her estranged husband to take her off the mortgage, he would be probably more than happy to do that. Once clear of a Mortgage I would suggest she sells the house with the other owner and with the capital either support herself and her family, get full time job and apply for a small mortage with low LTV, or buy a cheaper house for cash. It really depends on the location and price of this house.
The benefits system is there to support the needy, not property owners, so its unlikely she will be successful.