To think I shouldn't lose Hosuing Benefit because I am taking out a Student Loan?

[StyleO]

I have been told that when I become a Student and receive a Student Loan, it will affect my housing benefit. I live with a partner that is a dependent to me plus two children. I have to pay the student loan back, is it fair that I have to use that to pay rent? I am told that the old system of a grant and loan didn't affect housing benefit!

This is more than a little bit irresponsible.

I went to uni in the 1980s, and was able to claim HB then, but it changed soon after that.

Tbh, I agree that the system is fucked up. I went back to uni as a mature student in my late 30s. My marriage broke down when I was half way through, and I was entitled to no benefits, despite having been a tax payer for over 20 years by that time. I had instead to take out the max student loan, rely on help from my parents and get a part time job.

YABU. That's what it's for, for living on in addition to school fees and expenses. I agree with swingofthings.

@Loveyou3000 that’s fantastic!

Benefit entitlement is based on household income, so OP's student loan would still count.

If someone is unable to work then presumably the benefits would be disability benefits. Household income is irrelevant then.

@JudgeRindersMinder thank you, I do think you raise a valid point though, many see a degree as a surefire way to find employment, but it really isn't the case. Some careers are more guaranteed than others, of course, and my sister is 19 and isn't going to Uni and I keep encouraging her to learn a trade as it's far more secure and guaranteed than most degrees. (Currently she's doing fine working 2 jobs in a cafe and a pub though as she still lives at home)

@Yabbers a girl I went to college with gets full disability benefits on top of her student loan so it may be worth OP checking that out if he is on disability benefits

Look at Adult dependents grant

@Loveyou3000 your thinking is the same as mine. Your degree has excellent employment prospects-if you work hard at it-which you clearly are. Too many people start degrees, especially in the arts/humanities areas without a thought to what use it’s going to be for employment. If you ask a lot of school leavers what they want to do, they’ll tell you their subject choice, but if you push and ask them what they’re going to do with that degree, they’ve no idea. Getting a degree is all to often seen as the end, rather than the means to the next stage.
I’m totally with you about trades, once you have these skills no one can take them away from you-wish I had a trade rather than my 30 year old degree

If someone is unable to work then presumably the benefits would be disability benefits. Household income is irrelevant then.

But disability benefits aren't designed to cover rent, in the same way that jobseekers allowance doesn't. In either case, if the person is poor enough, it's housing benefit that helps with rent. And I assume that is always means-tested.

But disability benefits aren't designed to cover rent,

I never said they were. Someone else said if partner was claiming benefits his would be assessed as household income and affect her housing benefit. Not true for disability benefits.