This thread is unbelievable!!
Majority of the people commenting have NO IDEA what Universal Credit is doing to people, starving Children, you all have no idea.
Under UC, for Single Parent's, minimum wage work does NOT pay. Anyone can look up the pay cycle problems, the RTI problems, and the surplus earnings problems, and the serious childcare problems. It's complicated, but I can explain and break down to anyone who thinks it's better to work under UC!!
Students are also absolutely HAMMERED on UC compared to the old systems. Student single Parents get about £400 a month less than anyone (single Parent's) who are or aren't working!! I can post calculations to prove this. Many, many student Parent's are leaving their courses because they are unable to meet even basic living costs on UC compared to the old system. Being a Student Single Parent on UC is the worst case scenario of all 3 (not working, working, and studying) and often isn't even possible!!
OP, if you could post your total amount of student finance, assessment periods, ages of Children , rent (private or council) etc, I can calculate how much UC you should be entitled to if you want ?? (often it's zero sadly). So Student Single Parents are expected to live fully on a loan of around 9000 a year and Child benefit only.
It's almost impossible, unless you can work 10 hours plus on top, to fit around Uni, and have no Childcare costs.
The current government have made it almost impossible for single Parents to even study!!
OP, I would like to try help you. Basically, UC calculate your whole student finance (even if you don't take it), and put it through 8-10 'assessment periods' (months of the year).
Working people will get a disregard of over £200 of which their wages aren't counted and then only 63p of each £1 in wages is counted as income. On the other hand, student loans (including the Parent's Grant, but not including Childcare grant) are taken £1 for £1 from their UC award, the only disregard is £110 a month. This is why Students are being so hard hit. I have 2 Children, and would be entitled to only £172 a week student finance plus £35 a week Child benefit and NO UC.. My rent is £125 a week!!
OP, I would suggest that the only way you could afford to do this course under UC rules would be to move in with family and therefore have no rent to pay, or else you find a job at more than ten hours a week on top of Uni, cause then your meagre £88 UC shouldn't be deducted too much. You can also (apparently) get full UC (about £1200) during the two months of the summer holidays (but not if you are working, and I expect they will try not to pay this either, but you can fight them).
If you want, I will do calculations for you, I know how to do them, have learned, even for Students, just ask.
Unless you personally have to claim UC, you shouldn't be commenting on this thread tbh. You have no f'ing idea what they are doing. I work 30 hours a week, and UC take £290 a month off my UC for old debts for example, and my employer pays early for Xmas, I'll have nothing from UC in January and only £700 wages to pay £500 rent and keep 2 Children fed and warm and clothed - that's £50 a week after Rent!! My ex partner can't pay maintenance because he is subject to Minimum Income Floor and Surplus Earnings regulation on Uc and because of this and what Uc take off him he only keeps £617 a month of his £1200 earnings!!
Open your eyes, read the regulations and learn the calculations before you judge. Try to put yourselves in the shoes of those who have such low earnings they need to claim. They are finding ANY excuse not to pay any top ups to anyone. Wait until you are in this situation, you will see exactly what I mean..karma..