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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Full Time Students becomes Lone Parent. How to negotiate the benefits system. Help urgently required. :-(

6 replies

PollyCrystalTits · 14/12/2011 14:46

pparently I am not entitled to Income Support (and therefore Housing Benefit) because my income exceeds the amount of weekly income support of £67.50 per week. The only 'income' I have is my student loan which I will obviously have to pay back and is to cover the cost of travel/B&B costs for my course.

What I don't understand is that all over the direct gov website it tells you that they have changed things so that lone parent/full time student can get Income Support, but actually when you look at the criteria, it says they will class the maintenance loan you are offered as income (even if you do not take it!). The amount of the loan is equivalent to around £80-something pounds per week, while income support is £67.50 - so surely that means NO student will be able to get it?!

Does anyone have any knowledge of this? Surely this can't be right? I am desperate to complete my degree (in Acupuncture) so that I can support myself and my children going forward. Without this course I will end up doing a retail or admin job (assuming I can even get a job at the moment, seeing as I've been out of the market for nearly 5 years and we have the highest rate of unemployment for 17 years), and having my income topped up with Working Tax Credits, probably until I retire (on the pension that I don't have).

I so want to complete my course and stay in this area - I do not want to disrupt older daughter further by moving her to a new school in a new area, away from her dad, not to mention the fact I have after seven years of living here now made a life and friends for myself and have support around me.

It seems my only option if I want to continue my course is to move in with my parents (in their two bed tiny bungalow, they are going to love that!) an hours drive from where I currently live.

Is there anyone out there who can give me some advice? I will post this in the Lone Parent section too. Got to go and collect DD1 now. Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

GypsyMoth · 14/12/2011 14:52

Well with cuts etc this is how it is! Benefits system doesn't care about the individual support/school/dad etc

Are you sure you have it right? You can get HB without claiming income support. The two don't go exclusively together

TeWiharaMeriKirihimete · 14/12/2011 15:11

Speak directly to your local HB office, they will be able to tell you more clearly whether you are able to apply or not. I received it when DH was a full time student, I wasn't claiming JSA or IS. It is more complicated if you are a loan parent though, so I can't advise on the seact details.

Also ring your student loan office at your County council (not the main number) - there will be specialist staff who ONLY deal with student loans and they can help you too, you may be entitled to more loan/grant than you would have got otherwise.

Last call is to find out about the Hardship fund at your university, basically you provide them with a rundown of your incoming and outgoings (all your outgoings including food, toiltries, childcare etc) and if there is a short fall the idea is that they will cover it. However, HS funds are usually first come first served so you need to get in there now.

Your student union should have an officer for student parents too, who can give you advice.

Original poster

PollyCrystalTits · 14/12/2011 15:59

Sorry I am such an idiot - I cut and pasted my OP but left the first half off... It should have said....

OK. A quick run down on my situation. I am 40 My husband 'TG', is moving out on Sunday. He has rented a flat from a colleague. We have two DDs aged 4.5 and 11 months. It was my decision and was down to his addiction issues (a long story and not relevant to this part of the problem). So far things are pretty amicable.

I have not really worked since having DD1 and in September started a full time degree (3.5 years) which involves travelling for 3 hours on a Monday morning to attend uni, staying over in a travelodge, and coming back on Tues night. TG has the children while I do this and is going to continue this even though we are separating.

I was told by the Job Centre Plus advisor that as a full time student and lone parent I would be entitled to Income Support. We are in rented accommodation and being on Income Support means I am entitled to Housing Benefit and don't have to pay any Council Tax. What with the income support, student finance, housing benefit, child tax credits and child benefit etc I worked out that I can continue my course as long as I move to a smaller house that will be cheaper to run. All well and good. Until today.

Apparently I am not entitled to Income Support (and therefore Housing Benefit) because my income exceeds the amount of weekly income support of £67.50 per week. The only 'income' I have is my student loan which I will obviously have to pay back and is to cover the cost of travel/B&B costs for my course.

It seems my only option if I want to continue my course is to move in with my parents (in their two bed tiny bungalow, they are going to love that!) an hours drive from where I currently live.

Is there anyone out there who can give me some advice? I will post this in the Education section too. Got to go and collect DD1 now. Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

DamselInDisarray · 14/12/2011 16:05

You're a FT student, so you are exempt from council tax anyway. You should also be entitled to Housing benefit. You don't need to be on income support for this (lots of working people receive HB). As a lone parent, you may also be entitled to more student support (at least for next year), and possibly hardship funds too.

sashh · 15/12/2011 07:53

Disabled students and single parents are and have for many years been able toi claim income support.

Yes they count your loan as income, but it is only paid for term time, so you can claim for the holidays. Just because you don't get IS does not mean you will not get housing benefit - it will be assessed on your actual income. So as you say yu get £80, IS would be £67.50 so you get more than IS so housing benefit will be your rent less £12.50, or in other words you will need to pay £12.50 a week rent.

The other thing is, that IS for a single person is £67.50, so youwill actually get more than that, so you need to put a claim in NOW. How much you get will depend on the number of children you have, any savings etc.

Ignore the staff at the job centre who tell you you are not entitled as you are a student, they are wrong. Get a claim in ASAP.

Original poster

PollyCrystalTits · 15/12/2011 14:24

Thanks for the clarification all. I didn't realise you could still get housing benefit even if you are not eligible for IS.

Unfortunately I have a few thousand on a credit card (TG went bankrupt a few years back and can't get credit, so all our debt is in my name) and an ill dog which costs me about £200 a month. I'm going to speak to my parents - if the card can be paid off between TG and them, then I will still be able to continue my course so things are not quite as gloomy as I first thought.

Thanks again.

OP posts:

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