how does it work?

[nextqueen]

a friend of mine does teaching assistant work but is now on the dole as he cant get any work due to cut backs. he has a mortgage and gets benefits and says that the dole covers part of his mortgage then he tops the rest up. how can he get this paid for? i thought the govt made you sell all your assets to fund yourself if you owned a property for example.

[squarebear]

I assume he has mortgage protection in case he loses his job. I have the same.

[nextqueen]

i doubt he would have as he hasnt got any money. so why does he get this paid if he owns a property?

[redcrx]

but if they make him sell his house, who pays for his next home?
cheaper to pay the interest payment on his mortgage than make him homeless, temporary accomodation (does that make it harder to get a job?) then maybe long term job seekers, all the while costing more and more?

[nextqueen]

true but just didnt think this happened. when both my husband and i were out of work because we had our own house and savings, i couldnt get anything as we had savings and my husband only got the bare minimum for the first 6 months and it didnt cover our mortgage.

[redcrx]

i would expect it was because you had savings, as you say

http://www.direct.gov..._low_income/DG_180321

[nextqueen]

yes, it looks like the savings aspect of it is the factor here. we now dont really have much savings, my husband has a fairly new job and we have a big mortgage, would this mean he would get help with the mortgage if he came out of work?

[redcrx]

if he came out of work? you mean quit?

[CheekyChops]

I was on the dole a couple of years ago and after a certain period of time , they paid the monthly interest on my mortgage, not any of the actual capital.

I've just found this which may help:

Help with paying your mortgage if you get Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance

If you are in receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance, the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) should pay some of the interest on the mortgage.

You will need to complete a Housing Costs form in order to qualify for some help.

It is possible that you may have already completed this form wen you initially claimed for Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance but do not receive any help as yet. The reason for this is that there is a qualifying period for assessing help. This depends on when you took out your mortgage.
Mortgages Taken Out Before 2nd October 1995

For the first 8 weeks - you will receive no help from when your claim for Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance is awarded.

From the 8th-25th week - you should receive half of your Mortgage Interest payment.

From the 26th week - you should receive the Full Mortgage Interest.
Mortgages Taken Out After 2nd October 1995

For the first 39 weeks - you will receive no help from the date when your claim for Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance is awarded.

From the 40th week - you should receive the Full Mortgage Interest.

Be aware that the interest paid by the DWP is at a set rate. This does not necessarily match the rate that you are being charged by the mortgage lender. You would have to make sure that you took this into account when calculating what you need to pay including any arrears.

[lisajade8]

can he not claim any benefits at all has he asked about the mortgage payments