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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried how we will cope financially with DH becoming mature student?

60 replies

ShirleyValentine23 · 19/11/2021 07:51

We are currently on a very low household income, we are topped up by universal credit.
DH is a teaching assistant/cover supervisor in a secondary school and has been for just under 20 years (he’s just turned 40).
The wages for what is expected of him, is quite frankly an insult.
I only work part time, as I have a disability that stops me from working full time. I bring home £450 a month Sad
He wants to apply to teach for next year. Which I’m very supportive of…however I’m very concerned about the financial implications this will have on us.
We have a 3 year old, who will be 4 once he starts studying (September 2022).
He isn’t eligible for a bursary, so we would be living off a student loan.
It’s looking like you can get a max of £12382, but I’m not sure how much we’ll be eligible for, we also have a mortgage.
I’ve also done some research and it looks like universal credit doesn’t help people in full time education, and they take the student loan as income.

Can anyone help? I really want him to do the teacher training as I think he’d be great. And he’s got so much experience. He’s ‘outgrown’ his current school role and so much is expected of him now…for very little income.
I know longer term we’ll be better off once he’s qualified, but it’s the financial implications while he’s studying that’s worrying me.

OP posts:
SuperLoudPoppingAction · 19/11/2021 08:57

Do you get PIP?
That might double your income, if you meet the criteria.
It takes 6 months or so to come through but it's backdated.

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 19/11/2021 08:57

Also, access to work might mean more support for you in a job that pays a bit better.

Original poster
ShirleyValentine23 · 19/11/2021 09:08

Sorry I’ll add extra info.

He has an undergraduate degree already. And all his relevant experience as a TA/Cover Supervisor.

OP posts:
PermanentTemporary · 19/11/2021 09:08

Great that you're supportive. I retrained aged 39 with a 3 year old but it was a while ago and finances were easier. Agreed it makes a huge difference which route he goes down for training. Has he got advice from his head teacher or the SENCO?

Original poster
ShirleyValentine23 · 19/11/2021 09:09

So yes it’ll just be a year long course.

OP posts:
JennieTheZebra · 19/11/2021 09:09

I’m a benefits advisor. First of all, do you claim PIP? That’s the first thing to get sorted. As for everything else, the student loan does count as income but not all of it and it’s disregarded over the summer holidays. The equation for working out how much is taken into account is quite complicated but in practice a decent chunk of it ends up being ignored. In terms of UC you’re right that full time students can’t usually claim but, as you have a child you can and they will top you back up to your applicable amount. I presume that UC is happy with you working very part time? I would check that you’re getting all the UC that you can; depending on your exact situation you might be eligible for one of the ESA modules or even “new-style” contribution based ESA. You also need to be claiming for childcare for your LO-both from SFE, who are quite generous, and your free hours. That’s all I can think of right now but I hope it helps 🙂

SundayTeatime · 19/11/2021 09:10

[quote ShirleyValentine23]@Ponoka7 I was thinking we could apply to pay interest only for a year, just while he studies, if they were okay to accommodate that.[/quote]
Why do you think he will only need to study for a year? Has he already got a degree?

SundayTeatime · 19/11/2021 09:12

Ah, sorry, I see you have just clarified that he does have a degree.

LolaSmiles · 19/11/2021 09:17

I retrained as a teacher and for the year things were tight financially.

People suggesting he takes a job alongside a PGCE probably don't realise how intense the PGCE year is. I wouldn't advise anyone to take on a job alongside it unless it was something small purely in the holidays.

If your household income is under a certain amount, universities sometimes have additional bursaries and support that students can apply for. I was awarded an additional bursary, which was the equivalent of a couple of months rent.

Thingsthatgo · 19/11/2021 09:19

If he has a degree he should definitely look into doing Scitt, although it’s probably called something else these day. It’s is salaried, learning on the job teaching.

Thingsthatgo · 19/11/2021 09:21

Oh sorry, I may be wrong about the scitt course being salaried. There definitely used a to be a salaried training course.

mamaoffourdc · 19/11/2021 09:25

Looks like he could do a 12 week course https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/ways-to-train?gclid=CjwKCAiAs92MBhAXEiwAXTi253kqXGixd3cNmw0D0bnDQ2K8HPGDssmpAD-Q6v0zW1SprYVa7LM0RoC2GMQAvDBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#if-you-are-already-an-experienced-teacher

Hankunamatata · 19/11/2021 09:26

Go interest only in mortgage for couple of years to give yourself breathing room.

LolaSmiles · 19/11/2021 09:30

mamaoffourdc
OP's DH isn't an experienced teacher so wouldn't be eligible.

If he is a TA and cover supervisor then he hasn't got enough experience meeting the teacher standards. The people who do the assessment only route are generally those who are already very experienced as a teacher, for example maybe they've been teaching in FE or the independent sector, don't have QTS, but have already been doing the job of a teacher, or they've been employed as an unqualified teacher for a lengthy period of time and getting QTS is the rubber stamp.

TotallySuper · 19/11/2021 09:32

[quote ShirleyValentine23]@Ponoka7 I was thinking we could apply to pay interest only for a year, just while he studies, if they were okay to accommodate that.[/quote]
Don't do this! It'll effect your credit histories massively. Leave that as a very very last resort.

CorrBlimeyGG · 19/11/2021 09:39

It'll effect your credit histories massively.

If you apply to change to interest only, as opposed to taking a holiday break, it will not affect your credit history at all. They'll still be making the agreed payment each month.

home2012 · 19/11/2021 09:52

[quote ShirleyValentine23]@Ponoka7 I was thinking we could apply to pay interest only for a year, just while he studies, if they were okay to accommodate that.[/quote]
Maybe ask your mortgage provider for a mortgage holiday for a year

Sugarplumfairy65 · 19/11/2021 09:57

@PersonaNonGarter

Without being too nosy, why can you only earn £450? There are so many jobs out there and loads of part time work would pay more.
The op has already said that she's disabled. That makes getting a job much harder than it is for an able bodied person. You would be amazed at the discrimination that disabled people suffer in the job market.
Mistlewoeandwhine · 19/11/2021 09:59

I did my pgce in the late 90s. I got a student loan of 6k but it had to do my all year as I am estranged from my family so it included a full year’s rent. I worked in Royal Mail from 5pm until 10pm every day in the sorting office Mon to Fri and then walked home, had my dinner then did my teaching work (I tried to do most of it during the day). I did university essays at the weekends and occasionally some overtime in work to keep me going financially. It was really hard but I did it. All my scores, essays etc were top. I did cry a lot with tiredness though!

Anyway, my point is that one of you could take an evening job. It is hard but doable.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 19/11/2021 10:01

@SnapAndFartAllDayLong

Op has literally stated she has a disability so she can't work more. I hate this attitude on MN of oh just go earn more fml
Many people with disabilities would love to work more, or even get a job in the first place. Getting an employer to take a disabled person on is another matter
Fabuleuse · 19/11/2021 10:05

Has he looked at the OU PGCE? It depends on the stage/subject but they offer a salaried route if you are employed in a school and your employer endorses it, or a part-time route. I knew someone who did it part-time while employed full-time in a non-teaching private sector role. He used annual leave and negotiated some extra time off for the school placements.

Spiceup · 19/11/2021 10:05

Does he have a degree and so only need the PGCE year? If so there are ways to do that paid.

If he needs a degree he should be able to do that PT and keep the TA job. One of the reasons TAs are paid so badly is that they're PT. If he's doing more hours than he's paid he needs to stop and spend them studying. FWIW we have three ex TAs at our school who qualified this way whilst working as TAs

wwwwwwwwwwwwww · 19/11/2021 10:06

If it's a PGCE it's not actually a full year. So there may be the opportunity to work in holiday clubs and possibly the end of the Summer term. This might help with income.

ThinWomansBrain · 19/11/2021 10:09

your partner has a degree, presume reasonably intelligent if he wants to be a teacher - why hasn't he done the research about the direction of his career and how he might achieve it?
From you post it sounds as if he has taken a unilateral decision and is expecting you to sort it out.

Spiceup · 19/11/2021 10:12

I think it's reasonable to be concerned but also in his position essential that he does it. So it almost doesn't matter how you manage, for a year you will manage and after that he'll be earning a proper salary with real prospects for improvement.