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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Can my DD 'flip homes' for financial benefit?

87 replies

Kosmik · 24/03/2011 13:46

My daughter wants to go to university. My husband (her stepdad) earns just a bit too much for her to be eligible for the maintenance grant and says he will not pay for her as he cannot afford it and that her father should be made to contribute.

Her biological father (who she has never lived with since the age of two) I believe is now unemployed or on a very low income as the CSA have assessed him to pay just £5 per week maintenance for her. If she was living with him while at uni she would probably be able to claim the full grant (2,901 per year)

Would it be feasible in such a situation for my daughter to 'flip homes' to the lower earning parent in order to be eligible for the grant? Has anyone ever tried this?

OP posts:

TalkinPeace2 · 24/03/2011 14:12

step parents income was MOST CERTAINLY counted between 1982 and 1996 when my siblings and I were attending university.
No adoption or anything else was ever asked about

OP
you may find that the child benefit address needs to changed - which would be a right PITA

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:20

Well you daughter would be a lot better off if she did this. Although it does go on the previous years income so may not work unless she has actually been living with her dad for a year. Also a lot of universities give a bursary to those who recieve the government grant. I was given £1500 per year on top of government grant (£2700 i think) and my loans (my parents took early retirement).
So if she was to actually live with her dad , probably involve getting mail there being registerd at that address etc i dont really see the problem.
Obviously you cant just say oh yes she lives with her dad , she would have to be resident there.

ENormaSnob · 24/03/2011 14:21

How long has he been her step dad?

Does he have other dc?

Personally I think this is down to you, your dd and her bio dad.

Where is the line drawn otherwise? Mums new boyfriend has to pay towards adult child at Uni?

FabbyChic · 24/03/2011 14:23

Iskra Ive already apologised for getting it wrong enough times.

Pixie

What about the financially difficulty it will cause the ex? He would lose his 20% single occupant discount on his council tax benefit, and if you have another adult residing with you even though family HB reduce your housing benefit forcing you to pay more because they assume the other party will contribute.

This is about the OP not standing up to her husband to get him to put his hand in his pocket.

This is one of the reasons I gave up my job a year before my son went to Uni, if I had not he couldn't have gone to Uni. Rather my child had an education than I had a job.

Original poster

Kosmik · 24/03/2011 14:24

My DD wants to live on campus. I have been told that the household income including step parents is assessed for eligibility for grants.

I have 2 DDs and DH and me have a baby son. He isn't rich or tight - he has a biological daughter at uni (I think she should have got a grant her mum is a single parent), and it has been pretty tough - he says he can't afford to pay for another.

I don't understand the anger! I am not asking for advice on committing fraud! I'm only asking for advice on LEGAL ways to help her through the next 3-4 years. I just want to help my kid the best way I can. She has a weekend job BTW.

OP posts:

meditrina · 24/03/2011 14:25

No parent (step parent or new partner) has to pay for a university student. There is a maintenance component in student loans, and the student is then responsible for repaying it after graduation when income is above threshold.

Bramshott · 24/03/2011 14:28

I guess it may have varied from Local Authority to Local Authority Talkinpeace2. I went to Uni in 92 and my stepfather's income was certainly not taken into account.

Original poster

Kosmik · 24/03/2011 14:30

DH has been DD's stepdad for four and a half years. ExP lives with his wife and 2 young sons. I think his wife is a student.

OP posts:

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:31

Fabby

Ah. Well id not thought of that but as far as im aware students are not required to pay council tax so im dont think he would lose his discount actually.Im happy to be corrected on that though.
Im not sure how houseing benefit works im afraid so cant really comment on that part at all but does might a similar rule applies to housing benefit as it does to council tax ?

ENormaSnob · 24/03/2011 14:31

He is already supporting his child through Uni. I don't think it's reasonable to expect him to fund ops dd too.

No advice op but I would look at her living at her dads so she gets more help. Not as bad as fabbychic giving up her job IMO

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:32

ignore the random "does" in there...

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:33

Ah actually i think it might as my friend who has just graduated and is not on benefits lives with 3 other students an i dont think her amount was affected by living with them.

FabbyChic · 24/03/2011 14:33

It seems he lives with someone, from the OP I garnered he was single, sometimes I assume too much.

OP, if they are on benefits their benefits will be reduced by giving a home to your daughter.

Is she actually going to live there?

Has she already applied for student funding using your address? now wants to apply using another address? Do you not think they would think that suspicious?

notso · 24/03/2011 14:34

The way you are coming across Kosmik, sounds like you and your Husband have separate money, so why don't you pay for her to go?

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:34

Is now on benefits. I dont know whats wrong with me today. (hides keyboard)

ENormaSnob · 24/03/2011 14:35

Fabby please clarify.

You are slating the ops partner for not paying for a child that isn't his to go to Uni, yet you quit work before your ds went to Uni?

FabbyChic · 24/03/2011 14:35

So she wants to live on Campus?

Dandy, the problem you are faced with is that she has already applied and been granted support to what they feel is her entitlement, you cannot make another claim now for the same financial year, but you could make a claim for the next financial year stating her home address is her fathers address.

i.e where she stays when not at Uni.

GoldenGreen · 24/03/2011 14:39

no-one on benefits should be affected by a full time student living there - they are not counted for council tax purposes and there is the same rule for HB I believe, so no worries on that score (he should check though)

have no idea if it is legal, OP, but assuming it is, I can't see any moral obligation on yours or her part to stay living with you if it's going to cause you all difficulties - she is free to move to wherever she wants!

Bideyin · 24/03/2011 14:39

It wouldn't affect the CT of the bio father as students don't pay CT.

I think the way all these things are calculated is a bit unfair tbh. Ds1's father has never paid maintainence (he is disabled, on benefits but has never paid anything at all). Ds1 is 17 and does not get EMA because its calculated on my income (P/T) plus my partners. I have friends whose kids get EMA (and will get a further education grant) because the calculation is based on the mother's earnings only, even although the father earns a lot of money.

GoldenGreen · 24/03/2011 14:40

ah I see the problem if she's already been granted her support - yes you would have difficulties changing it now I guess

FabbyChic · 24/03/2011 14:41

I can confirm that they do in fact lower your housing benefit if you have a student living with you. Had said student my rent increased from nothing to £20 a month. That might not seem a lot but when you have a restricted income it is a lot.

The thing is she is not going to be living there so the point is mute.

The Op asked if she could say her daughter lived at her dads the answer is yes for future applications but not the one they have put in and got a response on.

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:42

Im pretty sure this would be legal if she wanted to do it. Its one of the reasons i was so pleased when my dad retired as i knew it meant more money for me which helped me a lot.

Pixielovescake · 24/03/2011 14:44

Just seen Fabbys post i was mistaken about the HB then. Still might be worth looking into , if you could persaude her dad he owes it to his daughter or something.

mrsscoob · 24/03/2011 14:45

If she genuinely were to move in with her Dad for a bit it wouldn't be fraud would it. Have you spoken to ex and dd about it? How would they feel about it?

ENormaSnob · 24/03/2011 14:50

I would double check on the hb.

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