To advise ds not to give up job for benefits

[Lallyhead87]

My Ds is starting a full time course.
The tutor has told him he should apply for a benefit allowance that you can only get if you are unemployed. My ds has worked all summer and is now working weekends, the tutor advised him he would make more if he got the allowance instead.
I've told him to keep working even though the others will "earn" more than him with the allowance. I think its good for mental health and social skills to be out and earning money.
AIBU?

it hinges on the family income on any event

surprising your DS shared this information with the tutor he met for the first time today

@probster I'm not sure why you are so suspicious, the tutor gave him the form and so ds explained he wouldn't need one because he has a job and he said to fill it out anyway.

@Choochoo21 that's a point I hadn't considered actually.

its mean tested and dependent on family income

That’s shocking advice. Quit your job and go on the dole. Who says that. Shit tutor.

This

It sounds similar to what my parents had at Oxford- full tuition paid and a generous stipend for living expenses from the Gov so they didn’t have to work to pay bills and had no student debt.

Many European countries support their students this way, I wish we still did. It’s shocking really how we put them into so much debt and the loans aren’t even enough to live off.

even more than that

the tutor gave this advice without knowing the family income (presuming the DS didn’t save this with his tutor of an hour or so)

It’s not ‘the dole’. It’s financial support to enable him to make the most of his course and study effectively for it. Also ‘the dole’ is a pretty unpleasant way to describe unemployment benefit anyway ( which, again, this is not).

Wouldn’t he have more time for study if he didn’t need to work?

What do you mean unpleasant, it’s simply a name for what it was called for years,and still is. I mean I’ve seen folks trying to be offended by many weird things on here but the dole is a whole new low,

It was called that for many years. It hasn’t been for many years either, because it makes it sound like charity. It’s not.
It’s not even an accurate description of what the young person will claim even if we go back to that term.

Goodness you’ve a real issue with it, I’m afraid many folks still call it the dole. You are pushing water up hill mate. Don’t be so sensitive,

and maybe for many people it is charity,

If it is a full time course then he will benefit from studying in the evenings and weekends.

Students doing degrees who are also working do worse in their degrees the more hours they work.

Yes, when he starts applying for jobs it's a good idea to have some work experience but if the course is going to get him qualified for much better paid jobs then I'd be taking the government support.

Seriously, good governments support people studying to better themselves.
I actually can't quite believe that people think he shouldn't at least apply for what is basically student finance.

You can't claim benefits on a full time course.

HTH

I’m not sensitive, I don’t have a ‘real issue’, I don’t care what people you know call it.
You seem way more committed to using it than I am to not using it.
Again, it’s not even accurate in this case.

Has everyone read the OP?
She’s in Ireland, different system to the UK. It’s not ‘benefits’, it’s a grant.
OP I think he should do this, if the information is correct. He can use the time not working to study, socialise, take up a hobby etc. Plenty of time for work in the future.

Absolutely this!

I had to work when I was studying and I struggled to find the time to do my work.

My classmates were staying late, having extra sessions with the tutors and dedicating weekends to reading and doing their assignments and I was struggling to even get the basics done on time.
I struggled to pass because of it.

The government has done this to make sure everyone (most people) have an equal opportunity to take the course and pass it.

No one should feel ashamed for taking full advantage of something that was put in place to help them.

When they’re applying for jobs, the employees won’t see that they were working alongside their studies whilst their classmates weren’t, they will just see the grades achieved.

I think if ifs true it might be a good idea. If the course is only for a year he could concentrate properly on it.

I don’t think an employer would look down on someone not working during a full time course for a year, it’s gaps they are suspicious of.

Would it free up some time for him to do something which would benefit him in this career in the future perhaps?

a grant that is means tested and dependent on family income

when i pointed that out to the op, no further responses

I was about say the same as Choochoo21. I'd rethink your original stance.

Thanks for your responses, he is going to fill the paper work out and hand it in. If he's eligible he will take it. No idea about family income and means testing but maybe it would benefit him to just concentrate on the course.
I have been on benefits before and actually found it very difficult to get off and back into employment, I was caught in the benefits trap. I didn't want that for him but I can see its not the same thing at all.

google the thresholds
and then you’ll know
and will save him all the form filling (it’s a lot!) if you know you have a higher total family income

It’s understandable that you are concerned but there’s a big difference between being on benefits and not working and being stuck in that trap vs not working because you are studying to better your prospects.

He sounds like a great kid and you sound like a great mum 😁

‘Low paid’ work is how I supported myself to a first in medicine.

Supporting oneself is not optional.

There is no graduate job rendered easier by a lack of exposure to the reality of working for a living.