Student and Universal Credit Woes

[Kefte123]

I'm currently a full-time university student and a single mum with two children. I ended up splitting up with my partner of over a decade, partly because he didn't want to move closer to university with us.

So I found my own house to rent and I sorted my student finance and applied for universal credit. I thought I'd be okay, because I had someone do an assessment of my entitlements from a charity prior to moving in and I've had single friends who have done the same and I spoke to them about finances (they were on tax credits). I really felt I'd be okay.

Today after several weeks of waiting I got my Universal credits award of £88. If my eldest child wasn't disabled it would have been £0.

Basically, I'm now living on student finance, child benefit and £88....and my son's DLA. I don't get much more than a single mother out of work or student without dependents, except I have books, transport (fuel, parking, insurance, upkeep), school dinners and 15% childcare costs (approx £500 per month , that's if my car doesn't need major repairs). So I'm worse off than them. I've searched for help with bursaries and financial aid, and I don't know where to turn.

It doesn't help that student finance isn't paid in a regular sum. It is paid in smaller increments at the start of the two semesters (get just over half in that period), then a larger sum towards the end of the second semester. Which means my actual time at university for 9 months is only about £700 month. How is a mother with 2 children supposed to live off that?

So now I feel terrible: I've broken my relationship down, I've moved my children into a different home and new schools and I'm now just poor and verging on quitting everything. I don't think I have enough money to survive over the course of the Christmas period, I have just around £600 - that's for rent/car payments/fuel/food/electricity. On top of that my house was rented with no carpets or flooring. I have barely any furniture. This is poverty.

I have a very intensive degree on a foundation programme for medicine, which means there is no time to work around the degree as a single parent and I could only work Sundays (and I would have to rely on my partner for childcare). My ex-partner does give some support, but it's not enough to fill that gap as he doesn't earn much more than minimum wage himself and has a mortgage to pay.

I'm desperately trying all avenues for help, checking if the universal credits is correct. The helpline was unsympathetic and saying I should just budget and how I get £10,000 a year in student finance and anyone can survive fine on just that. I keep breaking down my basic outgoings and how they don't cover my income, they don't care. I'm losing the will to live and I have two summative essays of 2000 words to hand in by Thursday and I can't concentrate. I'm so close to failure.

"Hang on, OP. If your kids are 11 and 12, do they need childcare? What childcare do you use?

Also, you have a partner but the kids dad (violent?) has them sometimes?"

My youngest, although intelligent, is quite immature for his age and I don't feel he's ready to be left alone for long periods for another couple of years. My eldest has complex needs and it is a requirement an adult is there when he gets into and out of his taxi for his SEN school.

I need to stress he's never physically hurt me or the children. Basically, he has a temper which has resulted in him shouting and breaking items, he is working on it and his outbursts are infrequent. So I don't feel there is any direct harm towards my children physically and my children are old enough to notify me. And despite his anger, my children really love their dad.

Although to mitigate risks he doesn't have the children for nights/weekend/long periods, unless he goes to his parents.

Your ex will always have something to pay for ! Meanwhile you are struggling for money with 2 children. You must apply for child maintenance via CSA. They will take the money out of his wages. He has a responsibility to support his children. Stop being nice to him, he is an EX for a reason !

I would also consider professions allied to medicine, which can offer good careers with a shorter degree and less or no unsociable hours.

One friend is a senior SALT with a specialism and she has a very interesting career with a lot of autonomy with her patients, and in developing her department. She also had a shorter training than a doctor and works office hours weekdays. She doesn't have emergencies that keep her there late missing nursery pickup. Her role is a lot more supported and boundaries.

Hospitals and departments vary a lot in how supportive they are to junior doctors. I've known doctors leave training jobs due to illnesses, childcare, family reasons because the department just would not be flexible (and of course they then lost a permanent staff member they can't easily replace rather than agree flexible working.... very shortsighted).

Medicine is a great career but sadly in your junior doctor years the hospital can regard you as just a name on a list.

I’m in a similar predicament OP, I’ve taken sometime out and as I’m now on UC I’m worried how much of an impact it will have on me as I can’t find a simple answer online as I receive the NHS student bursary and not entitled to the reduced student finance maintenance loan, due to going into arrears with a previous student loan.

Does anyone know which elements of the nhs student bursary are disregarded as income? I know that the childcare element is and think possibly that the grant and dependant learning allowance element may be as well as the standard disgard of £110 per month. Also as I’m not eligible for student finance I’m assuming if I prove this they can’t include it as income??

As @BumblebeeBum posted, this link from H6130 onwards is what I would suggest...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/754952/admh6.pdf

I am actually astonished by how posters are being so down on OP, who is studying medicine.

Whatever happened to building women up, supporting and encouraging them? The way some of you are going on you’d think she was guilty of hideous neglect.

OP is working to better herself, her family, and her children’s futures. She is inspiring her children and showing them that anything is possible.

I have friends and family in allied healthcare professions. The training is beastly and once qualified they do hours and hours of unpaid overtime because there’s so much report writing to do, as there’s not enough time in the working day to fit it in as they’re so busy with appointments and clinics etc.

I think some of the nastier posters need to pipe down. I wonder if there’s even an element of jealousy here? OP’s had a shit few years yet despite this has managed to get a place studying fucking medicine

I hope you get sorted with extra bursaries and support from your university OP and very best of luck for your training.

Could disabled ss help with some if the childcare costs ?

@8dayweek thanks that helps

@kefte123 just want to say - please don't give up! It's amazing what you're doing and if you succeed, you'll look back on this time and be so grateful you pushed through it. You're bettering your life for your kids and yourself. Please keep going

Though I'll also add - like if medicine will be too demanding on family life like people have suggested it will be - then maybe consider an alternative health related degree that still has good pay prospects but takes less time and has more family life balance. Like someone else said - I too wish I'd studied to be an OT instead of what I do now (social work).

@Shepherdspieisminging

What dangerous advice have I given.

I have said....
Respond fully and promptly to requests for information
I have said ring (hmrc will absolutely take calls re universal credit. I rang them myself yesterday!)
And UC won’t assume you take out maximum loans available. They ask the question. You provide the response

There are lots of examples of women going back into education and succeeding in bettering their own and their children’s lives - and good for them! I have a friend who went back when her baby was six months old, studied for three years and had a professional job by the time her child started school. This immensely changed her child’s upbringing and quality of life - brilliant! This is not what is happening in this situation though. She’s not really bettering her children’s future because they will be adults (or very nearly) by the time she can expect to be out of a situation akin to living in poverty. This is a long time for the kids to be subjected to substandard living conditions so that the OP can indulge in following her dream. Study when they’ve left home perhaps? Or do something part time? Or choose something that will have a speedier impact on the quality of theses children’s lives.

Oh and i assure you, that is most definitely not said out of jealousy for this woman’s situation, which sounds awful.

OP I commend you for your decision, it was a very brave thing to do. Whether right, only the future will tell. In any case, doing a foundation year doesn't guarantee you entry to Medicine. Have you applied yet and is it in the same uni you are doing your foundation? What are the conditions to get in?

You made a huge decision so you need to look at it from a wider picture. In 1 year, your youngest won't need childcare any longer. You need to get him use to being on his own building his confidence. Depending where you are studying, you might find next year that you have more flexibility with lectures. My DD is in her first year and only has two days on campus (but a lot of self study). She is working one day a week. Your main issue is when you might end up after year 3 and foundation years so you need to consider this. Some med schools could see you having to move miles away and then again after year 5 which would be just during your kids gcses/a levels.

I consider studying medicine. Yself when I was a single mum (4 and 7 then) but gave up on the idea because of the lack of stability and costs so only have admiration for your determination. Good luck.

Hello everyone
We've had a number of reports from people concerned about this thread so, as we usually do in these circs, we're putting our heads round the door with some important reminders.

Right now we can't see any evidence to indicate that the OP isn't above board – if we did, we'd remove the thread straight away. But the truth is that, sadly, we at MNHQ can't know with 100% certainty that any poster is genuine, no matter who they are or how long they have been here. As frustrating as it is, we're not able to vouch for anyone here.

So we always ask everyone to remember that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are – and remind folk not to give more to another poster, either financially (in cash or gifts) or emotionally (in time or care and support) than they'd be prepared to lose if things went wrong.

Sorry to hijack your thread briefly there, OP – we really hope you get it all sorted soon.

I admire your determination, but honestly, I don't think your children will thank you for this.

Good luck.

I really think you should consider applying through the CMS for proper maintenance. Why should you and your children be scraping pennies and considering food banks when their father isn’t even contributing a proper amount?

I think the ship has long sailed to study full time for a better life for your kids. Those with growing children should be working to support them, not being a full time student while they live below the breadline. Part Time student while working, yes but these choices you have made are extremely selfish to your kids and the taxpayers supporting your “choices”.

So now no one can post about UC or others report them as trolls? Wow.

OP I commend you for your decision, it was a very brave thing to do. Whether right, only the future will tell.

^You have to be joking. OP have been selfish chasing her pipe dream whilst her children live in the breadline. Her children will not thank her for it.

Here's a big newsflash: even if not at uni, her kids would probably still be on the breadline due to low wage and UC.

Go to student services, hardship fund will help you.

You have to be joking. OP have been selfish chasing her pipe dream whilst her children live in the breadline. Her children will not thank her for it
How judgemental. You have no idea how OP's children feel. Maybe they encouraged her to do it. Maybe they find their mum's sacrifices and hard work inspiring. Parenting doesn't stop when kids turn 18. OP has a child with SEN who might need looking/support for many years to come and being a doctor might be in a much position to do so then if she'd remain a care worker with little prospect for better income once her kids are adults.

OP is struggling because she hasn't budget correctly. She should get support with HB, she should get more from her ex, and should get access to grants from the Uni, that and not requiring childcare in a couple of years.

So yes, I do find it admirable that someone like OP could be determined to become a doctor when competition is so fierce when too many kids coming from privilege backgrounds still form the majority of medical school students.

In addition to the university hardship fund please also contact these people

rmbf.org/medical-students/

The medical benevolent fund may be able to help. I know someone they helped when she couldn't afford food for her Children or rent due to payroll not paying her for 3 months. Astonishing that is not uncommon for junior doctors.

There is also a good Facebook physician mums group who allow medical students and you will get lots of advice from there.