Fraudulent application for student hardship fund

[westisbest1982]

Posting here for traffic.

I submitted one to my uni last week as I've been out of work from my part-time job for a few months and my only income is from my savings which I've been 'paying' myself from my secondary bank account to my main one. I didn't declare my secondary bank account and I'm sure in the week I'm going to get a call to ask to explain the credits when they go through my bank statements which I had to upload.

I'm now worried that, if I don't cancel the application, they'll somehow do a check on me and find out that I've got the extra account. Which potentially could mean me getting kicked out of uni.

My student loan doesn't cover my outgoings and I'm hoping to get a new job soon. I feel it's wrong to have claimed but I'm also worried that my savings could run out soon.

What would you do?

Go there and tell them you think you missed off the £800.

It really isn’t much, you may still be eligible for help.

come on. £800 really is nothing - how long do you think it will last. £8000 and we would be talking a whole other ballgame. Come straight, tell them that youve had to go through your savings, soon they will be gone. show them your income and outgoings. Be straight with them and take it from there, but dont beat yourself up

I would email the hardship fund team, tell them you have this amount in savings but that once that is gone you will be in need of help. Ask them if it is appropriate to apply now or whether you should wait, and say that if they feel it's not appropriate yet you will withdraw your application at this point.

I agree that 800 isn't a large amount.. but it's more than quite a few people have, and there will be people who can't afford to eat properly applying. So be honest with the team and say you'll act on their advice. Then your conscience is clear and you can apply again later if that's how it works out.

Do what EduCated said rather than cancel the application. They may tell you to cancel it and reapply later. As pps have said that won’t last long. That could be little more than a months rent.

I wouldn't cancel it. You only have £800, that's not much at all. Stop worrying. Don't cancel it, you 'll be fine.

Cancel your existing application and make a new one with everything declared.

When I was a student, one January I was so poor I had to return a Christmas Present to a department store and use the vouchers (no receipt) to buy the by then cut price food hampers so as not to actually starve.

I was turned down for a hardship loan due to my parents' income of which I saw literally nothing

Had I been sitting on savings of £800 I'd have been doing a little jig! Surely you can see that having 'only' £800 in savings puts you in an incredibly privileged position?

£800 isn’t much but in my experience students who get hardship funding have less than nothing, ie they have overdrafts. It’s a last resort not a stopgap to let you avoid using savings. You saved for a rainy day, this is it.

Take all the money out your bank then you don't have money in your account.

Agree with butterymuffin.
What’s your living situation? The answer to that will have a big impact on whether you are entitled to the hardship fund. Will also depend on the course you are doing and how much free time it has.

£800 isn't much. Three train tickets home, maybe? Part of a deposit for a rented house? I wouldn't call that significant savings, just emergency money.

Why not just declare it it. You're probably still entitled to a hardship fund, even if you have got a small amount of savings. I'd hope so!

I used to assess hardship fund applications at a university. Whoever is doing the assessing will notice the payments and ask to see bank statements from this and every other account you have in your name, so don't cancel your application, just provide the statements.

They will take the £800 in to account and it may reduce or wipe out your eligibility, depending on the criteria they use. Don't worry, you've realised that you are going to have to declare this source of income before being asked so as long as you provide the statements, no judgement will be made and it won't affect your assessment.

Good luck in getting a new job!

...but this is an emergency, and precisely what emergency money should be spent on!

. 800 is hardly anything. I've had a a hardship loan from uni before with 1000 on my account, which they saw, but once every thing was due to come off I'd be left with nothing. I personally wouldn't worry about it.

A friend had to apply for a hardship payment and had money left in her account from her student finance. Even though that money would be gone within the month they still told her to reapply when she was actually in hardship. It seems a bit silly when they both know that 500 quid wasn't going to last until the next payment but she still had to wait.

It might not be the same at your uni but I can't see it would be much different.

You definitely can't get a hardship payment instead of using your savings, that's not hardship.

Thanks, I'll email them and explain about the £800.

I doubt £800 in savings would stop you being eligible. Call them, say you forget to include the details of that account and want to add it to your application.

Or cancel the application and apply again with all the information.

X post! Good luck with it

user It probably will make her not eligible. These are really supposed to be a last resort fund. But if you are being honest, no harm trying.

I work in student funding at a university, and I can tell you the number of 'chancer' applications like yours clog up the system and prevent finds going to students in GENUINE hardship.

You will get found out , the people assessing your application are not daft and will scrutinise your bank statements and see this anomaly.

In the guidance notes we issue to students, it is stated that ALL bank accounts must be declared. I would imagine your uni is this same. Basically, you are making a fraudulent application if you don't.

I'm sorry, but I really don't have much time for blaggers . £800 is a hell of a lot of money for a student to be sitting on.

You will be able to find employment through your uni careers and employability service. There's not such thing as 'no jobs' for students.

I think the Old Bailey will have to clear a slot.

Go for it - £800 is not a lot of money and won't last to cover rent, bills and food!! Good luck to you!

Depends on how much savings we are talking about!

I accessed a hardship fund when I was at uni, I literally had nothing left. But it was too little too late. I ended up dropping out very soon after as I just didn't have enough money. If it had been available to me a little earlier it would have bought me some time to find another solution and I may have stayed.

(Very full on course, had a job but that took away my study time. I was actually accused of having an alcohol problem when I was just exhausted from moonlighting)

£800 is nothing in the scheme of things. Student accommodation costs around £500 to £600 per month, plus food, travel and other living expenses. (Let alone course materials, books etc). Just declare it and see how the chips fall. They may expect you to use it up before they pay out, but that won't last long then you will be in genuine hardship. Good luck with it.