student finance

[frankylee]

My son's award for maintenance loan at university is only £476700. He will be living at the university. I am separate from my husband and leave with my son and 2 other children. I am not sure what to do . Any advice, please? I am the one supporting his application and am not working due to health reasons. All the evidence has been sent, but there has been no response from student finance. What else can i do, please?

Can you clarify the amount? Is it the minimum? If so they have not taken the lack of income onto account or evidence did not upload.

Have they also taken into account the father's/husband's earnings? If so, he will be expected to contributed by student loans.
Did you earn more in 2022/23 and less in 2023/24 - if so, you can ask student loans to consider the more recent earnings because they don't automatically. if they have based their decision on higher earnings, which you no longer have, there may be possibility of getting a higher maintenance loan.
Otherwise, many students have jobs and/or overdrafts.

What is your household income, as a starting point, so we can see if that number looks right?

That looks like the minimum maintenance loan. Doesn't sound right if you're not working. I presume that you aren't living with a new partner or anything? Did you submit so of your financial information?

Does your ex still live with you? Did he live with you in 2022/3?

That could be it!

I'm also a single mum. What has happened for me, with both my young adults, has been first they got the assessment for the minimum maintenance, and then, a few weeks later, after we had had kittens, they got a second letter with revised amount, higher.

Of course this isn't a guarantee, (and this year, for some reason, son's maintenance has gone down by a massive amount, causing kittens again). Fingers crossed for you.

I was about to suggest that it was probably a confirmation of entitlement type letter and the actual amount should be revised once the resident parent's income has been taken into account.

Re the reduction in he amount of the maintenance loan for this year, is your DS going into his final year? The maintenance loan for that is less because it doesn't include anything for time past the end of the course.

Call them tomorrow and ask them what household income this is based on. Then at least you know what data they're using and can ask how to correct it if applicable.
I found it easier to get through as soon as they opened - it's not like calling the GP when everyone is trying to get through at 8:30, though of course this is a busy time of year, . Try not to worry too much if you're on benefits. They usually manage to sort things out by the start of term, and even if they don't, at least he won't be penniless until they do, as he has an award of sorts.

@MarchingFrogs thank you. After a calming cup of tea I did think this might be the case. Helpful to have it confirmed.

Also I did some additional freelancing that tax year, which helped cashflow at time, but now having major impact, as the drop in income for this academic year significant, but by tax year under 15%, so they've rejected my request for reassessment.

Not to divert the OP's thread, but what makes me furious is that all this is assessed on the income of the parent with custody alone. Who is anyway forking out for larger home for holidays, help with their gas bill, etc etc. Now there is such an overhang in contributions needed to support young adults beyond the age of 18, it seems very hard the parent without custody is not taken into consideration at all.