How to help long-time tenant that can’t afford rent?

It's an easy question. Serve the s21. Follow the process, make up the loss on market rent with the next tenant

wait till 2 months in arrears then a S8 mandatory repossession. I have been in the same situation as you, issuing an S21 wont help the tenant get a new property as the council wont have anything to offer her. In this case the tenant will just stay put. This will be the case for both an S21 and an S8 but at least with the S8 its a mandatory process and you will get the property back (eventually)

What is being done about the health issues of the adult child and their financial dependency until now on the parent?

There needs to be a separate assessment of the adult child's needs which should have been foreseen a while back if the health issue is related to a pre-existing condition. Why has it waited until the current crunch point?

Could you please provide a bit more information?

Reply to the comment left by LordOf TheManor at 08/06/2023 - 07:55
Waste of time, while all of this is being done (with no guaranteed outcome) the rent arrears will be building up.

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 08/06/2023 - 07:58What I've suggested doesn't stop the notices being issued!!
I took it that the landlord posting the question had some interest in the welfare of the long term tenant.... as well as the obvious.
If the right assessments are got underway without further delay, these investigations should serve to flag up the case to social housing and get the tenants moved out quicker.
It's positive intervention which should assist landlord and tenant - which is what I understood the poster asked for.

Reply to the comment left by LordOf TheManor at 08/06/2023 - 08:15Don't disagree with what you have said, however its the tenants job to arrange that. I have had tenants where I was expected to act as carer and social services replacement. I am friendly with my tenants but I don't go out of my way to 'pop in', and try and keep them at arms length (which is better for them as well). I was acquainted with a landlord who was a vicar and he only had one property. The tenant fell ill and went into rent arrears but he felt he couldn't pursue her and in consequence lost over 3 years rent. Social services couldn't care less and eventually she died. He then sold the property. Lesson to be learnt here is dont get involved with the tenants problems, treat your property as your business

You have to wonder about pre-empt here! Child maintenance stops at some point. Allowances relate to child, who might, once out of education and considered an adult, want to live independently regardless of possible disabilities (not with a co-dependant parent). So where does that leave you? With a tenant who can no longer afford the rent. Carry on running a charity or start eviction process.

The adult child needs to apply for housing benefit/universal Credit in their own name.
I presume that you have put them on the tenancy agreement as a permitted occupier.
If you want to keep them as tenants the over 18 year old will need to be added to the agreement

If the tenant's income has reduced due to maintenance payments ceasing & they can no longer pay the rent & can't work full time due to a dependent adult child, they will most likely be entitled to benefits that might go a long way to replacing the loss of maintenance payments. Sometimes you have to work closely with tenants to help them claim benefits. It's just the way it is. Admittedly this doesn't change the fact the tenant wants to be rehoused as the property is no longer suitable, and you can only but hope by not paying the rent, it isn't because of a hidden agenda to get the council to move her to a bigger place on possibly lower rent. Meanwhile, find out the exact detail of her income which she should feel comfortable sharing with you if you're genuinely helping her, to determine what benefits she's entitled to & if any, help her to claim these that might hopefully pay off some of the arrears as well as pay future rent, and meanwhile work together on how she needs to position herself to get the council to rehouse her without you suffering on route through unpaid rent. Do you have Rent Guarantee or at the very least, Legal Expenses/Eviction cover in place?

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 08/06/2023 - 08:32
Harsh, but ultimately, good advice