I got married and it's impacted on DS loan

[mumzof4x]

So I had 4 dc all with their biological father
Divorced after 25 years
I have worked incredibly hard since . Built up my career on. my own and seen one through uni now teaching / one several years into medicine and ds on year 4 at uni
Their biological father has never contributed one single penny and it nearly broke me but it was worth it. They are great kids and I'm so proud I could do that for them.
I met a man a few years ago and with their blessing we married recently.
Admittedly he's helped dd with her medicine sometimes but that's because he wanted to not needed to
DS put that I am now married on his student finance this year because I am but dh is not his father
He's really upset because he's got £4K for the entire year
I've just finally reduced my hours a bit because dd has additional needs and I need tk be here a bit more
All the other dc always got the max amount they needed which helped tbh . I still had to top them up but not like this
DS got the max the last two years amd all that's changed is I got married
This year has been a struggle as his internship in Oxford overlapped with his final year at uni elsewhere and is costing £3k in double rent
His bills and rent at uni this year are 800 a month and he will have 400 at most
That means I will have to find £600 a month.
We are just buying our first house together and this means we now cannot
I had no idea they would expect my husband to financially support him ? Apparently he had to provide his NI number so they will his salary details and everything
I would have waited until he'd finished uni and never married but it just seemed the right time
Would there be any chance of an appeal? I feel so bad because on my own I have always provided for them and now this.
Any advice would be much appreciated and thank you .

Well it isn't the household income where they live as my GS couldn't claim it on my income (I'm a pensioner) so he was given the choice of either parent but due to step parents it still meant he only got the £4k.

I think you need to talk with your husband. The reason his income is considered is that you are financially one household and the expectation is that he will support your DS. It’s not always a fair system I had something very similar happen and barely ate in my first year (after that managed to get a charitable grant thank goodness!). Please discuss with your DH and don’t make your DS suffer because you didn’t understand the rules.

You weren’t aware of rules so it’s possible your son wasn’t either. Household income is based on cohabitation not just from marriage.

Okay. Where was he registered? Because a “flatmate” of mine at uni lived with her grandparents and it was based on their (pension) income.

So usually, it’s household.

It's a ridiculous system designed to cost the government the least possible. When I was in my last year at uni my parents gave me nothing as I had got married. I was still assessed assuming they contributed the required amount. Which even before the marriage they never had. My husband was a very low earner at that point btw though that improved later. So you just have to suck it up like everybody else. Sounds like you e accidentally pulled a fast one for years anyway.

I know, it's just an example that they have rules but you can still appeal even if your situation goes against the rules e.g. rules state must be estranged for over 1 year, mine was less (at the time of application) and I did not live in my parents household anymore, had my own flat and tenancy etc but appeal accepted due to the actual situation. @ElaineMBenes hope that somewhat answers your question too, I'd rather not go into the details of the actual situation here though

Your responsibility to top up to maximum loan level ,as all parents should do

If he is missing out by using their income rather than yours then unless they are actually still funding him he wouldn’t be lying to change it your income

Maybe the rules have changed, he is registered to vote at my address, school had my address, GP etc. He was told he could choose which parent's household income he used but could not use mine. I think they must be getting tighter about the rules.

I just asked him and he says it was because I didn't have legal custody so if we'd gone to social workers when he had to leave home because of stepfather he could have used this house not a parents.

Quite possibly they’ve changed yes, as it seems like the same as her.

However, it’s definitely still household income in the ops case sadly.

That doesn’t sound fair. If he’s still a student now he should try and get a second opinion.

You can appeal but zero point as it’s based on household income so a step parent’s income counts, or even a boyfriend, it isn’t the fact you’re married but living with someone. It’s a flawed system but it’s not going to change

The section on the form that the student completes reads:

(a) With which parent do you normally live, or have more contact with?
(b) The parent(s) you normally live with should complete section 10. If the parent indicated in ‘a’ is married, in a civil partnership or living with a partner, their partner must also complete section 10.

Well he would be lying as he has been told he has to use a parent unless I have (well had as he's an adult now) legal custody.

The reality is that your then partner should have been on the claim before if you lived together. I'm in a similar situation and my dc only got the minimum

Sorry @Stockinggg I wasn't asking for your personal circumstances.
I was asking on what grounds do you think the OPs son could appeal as there doesn't seem to be any ambiguity in their situation.

Well he's taken a year out and has £10k in the bank plus I will help. He has good work experience and should get a job easily and has been promised work for next summer where he has worked this year. We are just looking at it as he will borrow less and hopefully it will be paid off sooner. He's in cheapest halls and has budgeted his money and reckons this time next year he will have more than £10k. We will see, it has certainly given him skills in money management.

His bills and rent at uni this year are 800 a month and he will have 400 at most

If you are married then the income is joint and will affect things like this, regardless of whether he’s the biological dad or not.

Could DS move into his own accommodation that isn’t at uni?

I went to uni as a mature student and because I was living in my own place (and not with parents or uni halls) I got the full amount.

I appreciate its short notice but if he’s at uni halls TTO then he’s seen as still living at home and that means you will support him financially. Whereas if he wasn’t seen as living at yours, then you wouldn’t be expected to support him financially.

The loan doesn't depend on where you're living (unless it's with your parents or the London weighting). However, mature students follow different rules.

Children in full time education are entitled to parental maintenance. It is possible to sue for this in the courts (I have personally seen cases). The obligation to maintain is one way - it is not in any way similar to spousal matters.

It was always like that. If you worked between school and university or earned well over the summer you got less grant.
It's the same with everything - TBH I think most means testing is a bit unfair as it doesn't really impact the really rich - but those who've worked

Your DH needs to contribute.

@mumzof4x even living with a man means that his income is taken into account on the form.

Everybody always says the system is unfair, but it does work both ways. And many play the system. My nephew for example lived with his low earning Mum. His Dad was still gifting him hundreds a month, but he got a full loan. A friend of DD's claimed she was living with her no income Dad on a 50/50 basis, you can therefore claim either parent. She gets a full loan, and her Mum is super wealthy. She is on her fifth holiday this year.

A child could have a zero income SAHM, but live in a home of their millionaire partner. Do you think they should have a full loan?

It's not perfect, but what's the alternative??

The system is just so bonkers… my daughter gets minimal loan because of my income and yet she has friends whose parents have far higher disposable income who are on benefits and yet they get full loan. My daughter is doing a very full time course with placement and works… she also has a number of summer jobs and I support her.

I agree that your husband isn’t responsible for your child but if you were cohabiting before then they would have taken the household income into account