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                                                                    EXHIBIT 5.1

January 22, 2001

Household International, Inc.
2700 Sanders Road
Prospect Heights, IL 60070

RE: Combined Registration Statement on Form S-3, relating to Junior Subordinated
    Debt Securities and Preferred Securities Guarantee of Household
    International, Inc. and the Preferred Securities of Household Capital Trust
    VI - Registration Nos. 333-53862 and 333-53862-01.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As Vice President-Corporate Law and Assistant Secretary of Household
International, Inc. ("Household"), I am generally familiar with the proceedings
in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Household and
Household Capital Trust VI (the "Trust") filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") on January 17, 2001 and amended by Amendment No. 1
to be filed with the Commission on or about January 22, 2001 (as amended, the
"Registration Statement"), relating to the registration under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of preferred beneficial interests of
the Trust (the "Preferred Securities"), subordinated debt securities (the
"Junior Subordinated Notes") and a preferred securities guarantee, (the
"Preferred Securities Guarantee"), guaranteeing distributions on the Preferred
Securities to the extent set forth in a Preferred Securities Guarantee
Agreement, a form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement
(the "Guarantee Agreement"). The Junior Subordinated Notes, which constitute
unsecured junior subordinated debt of Household, will be issuable under an
Indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, between Household and Bank One, National
Association (formerly the First National Bank of Chicago), as Trustee and a
Fifth Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of January 22, 2001 (together, the
"Indenture"). The Indenture, or forms as filed thereof, have been included as
exhibits to the Registration Statement as filed with the Commission.

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Household International, Inc.
January 22, 2001
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Based upon my review of the records and documents of Household I am of the
opinion that:

1.  Household is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under the
    Laws of the State of Delaware.

2.  Each of the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement will, after being duly
    authorized, executed and delivered by Household, constitute, a valid and
    legally binding instrument of Household enforceable in accordance with its
    terms, except as enforcement of the provisions thereof may be limited by
    bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws relating to or
    affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general principles of
    equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a
    proceeding in equity of at law).

3.  When (i) the Registration Statement filed by Household with respect to the
    Junior Subordinated Notes and the Preferred Securities Guarantee shall have
    become effective under the Securities Act, (ii) the issuance of junior
    Subordinated Notes and the Preferred Securities Guarantee have been duly
    authorized by the appropriate corporate action, and (iii) such Junior
    Subordinated Notes and the Preferred Securities Guarantee have been duly
    executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment of the agreed
    consideration therefor in accordance with the appropriate Indenture or
    Guarantee Agreement as described in the Registration Statement, including
    the Prospectus relating to the offering of Preferred Securities, such Junior
    Subordinated Notes and the Preferred Securities Guarantee will be legally
    and validly issued and will be the legal and binding obligations of
    Household enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement
    of the provisions thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
    reorganization or other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of
    creditors' rights or by general principles of equity (regardless of whether
    such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

I herely consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement and to the reference to me under the heading "Legal Opinions" in any
Preliminary Propectus or Prospectus forming a part of the Registration
Statement.
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Household International, Inc.
January 22, 2001
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In giving such consent I do not admit that I am in the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ John W. Blenke
    John W. Blenke