To think you have to declare both parents' income for Uni?

[AngryLlama]

DSD is due to start uni in September. Her mum reckons she will get the full loan as she intends to only declare her income not DH's. Surely this isn't right?

@RandomMess goodness, where are your students living? £750 a month seems quite a generous accommodation budget to me...

@Love51

This is one of those strange anomalies - if her mum has a live in partner, that person's income also counts. I think if an adult sibling is living at home, theirs counts too. But the non-resident parent doesn't count. It can work out a bit shit for people if the parent they live with moves in a partner with a decent job, who isn't a fully fledged bill - footing step parent.

This! It worked out shit for us.

I couldn't believe my live in boyfriend was supposed to be financially responsible for my adult daughter. She wasn't his, was over 18 and I earned little. But they wanted to know what he earned.

It's correct. DS who lives with me will get the basic amount as we are higher earners (not massively so though!). DSD will however get full amount as her DM is on benefits. We are still trying to work out what to do to even it out. Give DS more so he has equal money, or give them both the same but then DS loses out.

I had a friend like this at uni - although back then loans were smaller (I started after grants were done away with and fees were means tested - I got the full loan which I think was about £3k a year ish?).

He put the whole loan into an ISA each year while his parents funded him. Left uni with a load in savings, didn’t have to pay any back until he was working, the debt isn’t considered for mortgages etc...

Very fortunate position to be in. Either she can save the loan, or use the loan and her father can pay into savings for her instead.

Pretty nice problem to have.

It seems really odd that 'household' counts rather than those with parental responsibility. How is a live in boyfriend or girlfriend included in this calculation but a NRP isn't? Surely this hugely disadvantaged students with less savvy parents or just those who will be first in their family to go to uni. If mum moves her boyfriend in then their goes the loan for the child? It's just bizarre.

[quote merryhouse]@RandomMess goodness, where are your students living? £750 a month seems quite a generous accommodation budget to me...[/quote]
Lol. When my dd went to uni ( Greenwich area, London) the only halls we found cheaper than 750 a month were in Hackney. I think they were about 620 odd. Absolutely nothing cheaper anywhere.

Talk to her about it. She doesn't have to apply for a loan, regardless of what her mother thinks

I agree.
The loan needs to be paid back so surely she would rather not have that debt hanging over her.

@AngryLlama

It seems really odd that 'household' counts rather than those with parental responsibility. How is a live in boyfriend or girlfriend included in this calculation but a NRP isn't? Surely this hugely disadvantaged students with less savvy parents or just those who will be first in their family to go to uni. If mum moves her boyfriend in then their goes the loan for the child? It's just bizarre.

Because it's nigh on impossible to get some absent parents to pay CM, let alone fund their adult child through uni.

The loan needs to be paid back so surely she would rather not have that debt hanging over her

Except it doesn't in most cases...

@AngryLlama

It seems really odd that 'household' counts rather than those with parental responsibility. How is a live in boyfriend or girlfriend included in this calculation but a NRP isn't? Surely this hugely disadvantaged students with less savvy parents or just those who will be first in their family to go to uni. If mum moves her boyfriend in then their goes the loan for the child? It's just bizarre.

It’s less bizarre than trying to hunt down reluctant fathers to assess, who will then dodge paying student contributions. Most absent dads don’t even pay CM.

They used to assess it purely on the resident parent’s income, but the resident step parent’s income has been included for the best part of twenty years now, so no point railing against it. Might be worth registering your objection via your MP, but realistically, nothing is going to change.

This is the system, for better or worse.

I completely agree with looking into what Martin Lewis says about it. He says to consider it a tax on a degree rather than a loan. This is because the vast majority of students will not pay back all that they borrowed, especially when you take into account fees loans as well.

It simply makes no financial sense whatsoever to pay upfront for fees and/or maintenance loans. Support financially if you can, but seperately to the loans so that she doesnt need to get a job and can concentrate on her studies, a far better use of your money.

It’s less bizarre than trying to hunt down reluctant fathers to assess, who will then dodge paying student contributions. Most absent dads don’t even pay CM.

This.

If a father has been dodging CM for years, he is hardly going to step up and pay for uni support. My daughter wouldnt have been able to go to university if her bio fathers income had been included in assessments. He is a v high earner but would rather eat his own leg than pay a penny to support her and he simply wouldnt have paid.

I'm pleased the system is as it is because many NRPs gleefully skip in to the sunset when their DCs reach 18 and don't pay a penny towards uni.

Is there a chance your DH's ex could be worried that he'll withdraw his current contribution and she's setting herself up for that just in case?

Resident households income, this includes spousal maintenance (and child maintenance for a child over 18 counts as spousal) and the income of Dh/dp if resident at the same address. I checked the rules yesterday