£400 to live on at uni?

[DreamsOfDownUnder]

Sorry posting for traffic.

I'm a single parent to a 9mo, going to uni soon and I've crunched some figures with SF, tax credits (UC) and some wages. I will have about £400 per month to 'live on'. This is after rent, food and bills. Even down to Netflix and nappies.

I have a baby so slightly different situation to a 'typical' student.

Would £400 be enough? How much disposable income do your student children have? Or if you are student, do you think this is enough for treats & emergencies etc?

What do you have to cover for that amount? Transport? Books? Mobile? Or just fripperies?

Do you mean UC or tax credits?

What is the £400 for?

@MyDcAreMarvel - sorry, UC - thought some might not know what UC is.

@ZippyBungleandGeorge ooh thanks, I missed travel (that will be approx £80pm for unlimited travel in my area). So yeah, that and fripperies.

So £320 to spend on things you don't even need? Yes it's enough.

Doesn’t a student loan cancel out UC?

I think most people don't have £400 a month pin money so I'm struggling to think why you don't think you'll manage.
Are you not having to pay for child care?

I didn't know you could claim UC and SF.

I would think that is definitely enough for sundries and spends.

My DS uses his (minimum) maintenance loan for rent and uses the £200 per month I send him (plus some? from his dad) for booze food and travel,social/prescriptions/books.

I was under the impression the entitlement to UC was lost when in receipt of a student loan

Is that 400 for fun and transport? You should be fine on that. Could I be cheeky and ask how much UC you get? I'm a student but still on WTC
I've heard that you get very little in the way of UC so I'm a bit worried it'll be a huge drop in income.

£320 after all the basics are covered is doable. It's not like you'll be knocking back cheap bitter at the student union every night.

Are you sure you've done your sums right. Won't your SF (the maintenance part) and your wages be taken into account when calculating your UC?

@Manclife1 - depends on your maximum entitlement. They disregrad the Special Support Element of the loan and PLA which is quite alot. They take into account about £6500 of my SF and divide by 9 then take £110. That gives the figure the take from my UC. My full UC is £1275, that leaves me with £660 UC. During the summer I get full UC.

@TheOrigFV45 @999caffeineplease students cannot generally claim UC but there are exceptions, being a parent is one of them.

@donajimena UC can be very unfair in the way of SF. Scottish students fair the worst, Welsh students the best. English is the happy medium. Either that or they are calculating it wrong.

My UC once all is taken into account is £660. My max UC is £1275, so quite alot deducted, but I have SF too! It would be lower if my rent wasn't so high as they add all elements together and deduct from there. If I was on TC I'd only get about £230. I just have one child. So luckily I'm better off.

@TheOrigFV45 yep. My UC is deducted by £615 every month. My max UC is £1275. UC £660. Full UC in summer.

That is plenty to live off each month, but check your calculation is correct as the online calculators aren’t designed to work out Sf. To calculate your UC payment you need to deduct childcare from your annual SF (if it includes it) and divide the figure you’re left with over the number of months your course is for, then deduct £110 from that figure which is disregarded by UC for books/equipment to give you your monthly incomings for UC purposes. Then you need to work out your UC entitlement for your child, yourself and housing element if you’re entitled. Once you’ve worked out your UC entitlement deduct your incomings and that is the payment you’ll receive from UC.

For those doubting if students can claim UC, OP has a child and is a loan parent and qualifies for UC.

@donajimena oh and I get full UC in the summer, SF is only considered for 9 or 10 months depending on course dates.

Sorrt forgot to mention, my childcare costs are covered by the childcare grant and partial top up from me (included in my budget already)

As long as the £400 is guaranteed you will be fine . I went to uni in 2000 as a single mum. I wasn’t entitled to housing benefit or income support, and there were no tax credits. I was very skint but survived.

oh and I get full UC in the summer, SF is only considered for 9 or 10 months depending on course dates.
I don’t think that’s the case unfortunately.

@chickhonhoneybabe exactly what I've done. I'm actually part of Facebook group who helps people with UC and gives calculation.

Also, the Special Support Element of the loan and PLA is disregarded.

Cross post. I can see you’ve worked it out correctly.

Yes it’s brought to live off each month, I was I got as much..

@MyDcAreMarvel it is the case.

Grr! I meant it’s enough to live off, I wish I got as much after bills and rent

@chickhonhoneybabe

'Yes it’s brought to live off each month, I was I got as much..'

Sorry I'm half asleep - huh?

@chickhonhoneybabe got you, I did try to decode!