Single parents can buy with as little as a 2 per cent deposit through the single parent option of the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, formerly the Family Home Guarantee, and many lenders count child support and family payments as income.
Buying as a single parent means one income, one set of savings and living costs that lenders assess for your whole household. It is harder, but it is far from impossible.
The single parent option of the 5% Deposit Scheme was built for exactly this situation, and the way a lender reads child support, Family Tax Benefit and part-time hours makes a bigger difference to your borrowing power than most people expect.
Part of the first home buyer loans guide.
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What moves the number
Choose any that apply. Each shows roughly how much it changes the figure, the way a lender’s assessment would.
is an indicative borrowing figure at today’s typical rates. Lenders typically count around 80% of rental income, which is why an investment purchase can lift your number, your real figure comes from a proper assessment.
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Lenders allow for your household’s living expenses, and each dependent child increases the amount they set aside. Childcare, school fees and existing debts all reduce what is left for repayments.
Clearing a car loan or reducing a credit card limit before applying can lift your borrowing power more than a pay rise would.
If you are separating, lenders generally want the property settlement formalised before they lend, especially if you are buying out a former partner or using proceeds from a sale. Our guide to home loans after separation sets out the order of steps.
Your existing home loan, any joint debts and the timing of child support all affect the application.
If you are a first home buyer, the 5% Deposit Scheme removes LMI with a 5 per cent deposit. Charles compares these alongside the 2% single parent option to find the option with the lowest cost and the fewest strings.
A family guarantee lets a parent use equity in their own home as extra security, and most lenders accept a gifted deposit from family with a gift letter.
Yes. Lenders assess single parents on the same basis as anyone else: income, expenses, deposit and credit history. Your household costs are higher, so borrowing power is usually lower, but government schemes and the way some lenders count child support can close much of the gap.
With many lenders, yes, if it is documented by a court order or a Services Australia assessment and has been paid consistently. Some lenders count it in full and others shade it, and most look at how long it will continue based on your children’s ages.
It is now the single parent option of the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme. It lets eligible single parents and legal guardians, single mums and single dads alike, buy a home with a deposit from 2 per cent without paying lenders mortgage insurance.
You do not need to be a first home buyer, but you cannot own a property when you apply.
Yes, at many lenders: Family Tax Benefit counts as part of your income, subject to your children’s ages and how long the payments continue, usually alongside employment income rather than on its own.
It varies widely with your income, the number of children, your expenses and lender policy, so two lenders can give very different answers. The calculator on this page gives a starting point, and Charles can check the figure across lenders.
Considering family help instead? Our guides to guarantor loans and gifted deposits explain how each works.
Charles can check how each lender counts your income and your children’s costs, and whether the 2% single parent option or the standard 5% option fits.
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General information only, not credit or financial advice. Government scheme criteria, including income limits and price caps, change over time and are confirmed against the current rules. Lender treatment of child support and government payments varies.
Official sources for the figures on this page: Housing Australia, Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme. Scheme rules change; the official pages are the final word. Checked against these sources on 12 October 2026.
