To ask what you would do in my situation

Could you get a live in "housekeeper" type-job which would solve your accommodation problems? Obviously it would have to be someone who didn't mind your child living there too, but some people (elderly? handicapped?）might welcome the contact with a young mum and child.

It is posts like this that make me realise what a force for good mumsnet can be. Fingers crossed.

Good luck with Year 2 of your diploma Op. Thr fact that you are managing it means that you are moving your life in the right direction - it is just hard right now.

Fingers crossed for you it can be disregarded going forward at least.

Lots of people seconding and thirding apprenticeships. That with the 30 'free hours' is really is your best bet. What area/career are you trying to train in?

If I was you I’d get a job, utilise the 30 free hours childcare (22ish if stretched over the full year) plus tax free childcare on top to bring it down by another 20% to keep the cost as low as possible, continue to budget carefully & use your earnings rather than your compensation to pay the bills where you are.

Even if you got an entry level job it’s easier to move up once you are in than it is to apply for higher paying jobs externally while unemployed due to building connections & relevant experience.

Depending on your degree I’d also really consider looking for workplace degree apprenticeships- get your degree on your employer’s money while working. If you’re already 2/3 of the way there then you’d be in a strong position to get in for this with an employer as they’d only have to pay out 1 year rather than 3.

Op have you considered a modern apprenticeship? You earn while you train, so you'd have an income and you end with a qualification. If you could find one in the area you're studying then you might be able to have your degree it funded by an employer. You'd also be classed as working so would get the free nursery hours. It all sounds very hard, but you've done amazingly to get where you are, good luck.

I'm pretty sure specific compensation,if you can proof that's why it was awarded, can be disregarded from savings. But you need proper specialist advice

Yes, and you can’t hide it. They want bank statements. They will see you have moved money. You can’t get away with anything, people try, but they get caught out.

I really feel for you OP.

But for all those saying to relocate, it’s fucking horrendous trying to find a rental if you haven’t got employment (and even if you have), and especially if you claim UC. I know landlords aren’t supposed to discriminate but they do. There are too few rentals, they will always pick a working couple.

I have a friend on partial UC, she also work full time. She’s about to lose her home due to landlord selling up and has applied to over 200 properties, up to 2 and a half hours from where she currently lives. She’s been rejected from them all.

It’s not as simple as moving north.

She can't do that. Deliberately moving large sums would be deprivation of capital.

Plus they only don't count completely if they are totally out of reach of the parent. In an account that the parent can access they can be treated toward the £16k - which amounts from the OP's compensation moved into the child's name very likely would be as it would be very obvious.

My recommendation is to buy an auction flat in Bradford. Our friend has just bought one post divorce for £30k. In an old mill so no problem with cladding and he commutes to Leeds every day so is close to the station. It has good transport links and is very cheap to live in.

They can yes, but you can’t just take your own savings and transfer a load to your DCs to bring you under the savings limit for benefits.

Children can have savings solely in their name and it not effect UC. I am sure I have read this on another thread.

Don't do anything against the law OP as I said I’ve never claimed benefits but if you can legally gift some of this money to your DD do so.

The sooner you can get help to get housing the better.

You’ve tried paying 12 months up front. No one will help you. No landlord will touch you.

You're advising OP to break the law.
People can't hide money because they don't want to spend it and want to claim benefits instead.

Pretty sure that’s not allowed, you have to show bank statements and if investigated it would be fraud.

In your position I would transfer the amount needed to bring my savings down to my DD. Claim UC and get rent assistance too.

Your DD will have a financial cushion when she is older and you will have started the process to get out of a single one bed room.

Consider relocating. Once you go on a London borough housing list they will do anything to get you to relocate.

Full disclosure I’ve never claimed benefits but if I had to I would definitely protect some of the capital and put it in my DC’s name. The main thing to do is to get more suitable accommodation sorted before DD starts school.

Have you looked at nursery and child minder costs recently? As of this month, all babies and children over 9 months get 30 funded hours (22.4 hours a week stretched) if the parent works. Although most places won’t be free, it takes a large chunk off childcare fees plus you can also get tax free childcare which takes another chunk off the bill. It really shouldn’t be more than you earn anymore.

I wonder if it's worth a search for charities and grant making trusts that specialise in either the profession you worked in before or the one you're aiming to join.

There are a surprising number of small charities that aim to help specific "fallen on hard times" people from particular industries. But you have to search to find them. I feel like your case is so specific and difficult that speaking to a small charity with some discretion over what they fund is going to work better that trying to fit into inflexible govt rules.

caba | the charity for Chartered Accountants https://share.google/9Be12g5xmIHnLYDx2

This kind of thing (I randomly picked accountants).

It's such a vicious circle and I feel angry on your behalf that it has been so difficult for you to access support. You've been through a lot and seem to be being very brave and determined. The upper limit on the capital you're allowed to have before you can claim benefits is foolish as it's low because it hasn't changed for ages - it ends up trapping people going through difficult life experiences like yours in poverty, which (apart from being cruel) means they cost the state far more than if they'd been able to use benefits to get them through the bad patch! Now I'm ranting!
I think in order to break through this, I would book the uni course anyway - have you asked if you can pay upfront? Then get benefits in place once you're below the (£16k?) capital threshold for claiming benefits? Can you talk to the finance dept at your uni about paying fees upfront - I imagine they may help if they know your situation? Does your uni have a creche, as combined with the free hours of childcare that could really help you? Also I think the government has just brought in more free childcare, I'm not sure when it starts: 30 hours if you're working a minimum of 16 hours a week, after your child is 9 months old?
Once you have childcare set up, you can combine studying for your degree with part time work and claim benefits, still keeping your £16k saved so you have it to restart saving for your house deposit when you finish studying and can get better paid work and come off benefits?

No I haven't. Although I may be too late now to explore that avenue

Speak to someone anyway. You may be out of the disregard period, but you might be able to set up a personal injury trust still (I don't know as it was done right away here, but it's worth exploring it in your situation)