Single parent, soon to be student and confused about benefits.

[IneedAbetterNicknameIn2012]

Hi, I am hoping someone can help me.
I am a single Mum, my children are 7 and 5.
I am due to start college in September, but due to the changes in benefit law will no longer be entitled to income support, and am being switched to job seekers very soon. This is fine, but once I start college in September I will no longer be entitled to JS either. The lady at the job center told me I will also lose my HB as a result.
I have no qualifictions, and am doing an access to midwifery course, so it will be a worthwhile profession (ie its not a degree in Michael Jackson, or something fairly 'useless')
Does anyone know what funding (if any) is available?
The college told me to ask the job centre, and they told me I simply can't go to college!
Many Thanks. :)

Full time students as standard are not eligible for housing benefit. There may be grants or loans available through the uni or college. However, our council do have a discretionary fund for housing benefit for those with young children or dependants who are students. Your tax credits should increase when your income drops. Have you spoken to an advisor at the college to see what kind of funding they offer?

The lady at college told me I had to ask at the job centre about any money but I will go back and ask again. Thanks :)

Go and speak to the housing benefit officer too.

There may be bursuries available, or grants. Give it a google, join something like student.net or open university forums. I know its a different course but they should be a knowledgeable lot!

OK thanks. I tried google, it just directs me to benefit calculators that won't calculate what students can get I will phone the college, job centre and HB people in the morning :)

I was a student a few years ago. I was able to get a maintenance loan as well as a student loan but there is a maintenance grant which doesn't have to be paid back I believe. You will be exempt from council tax. I received full housing benefit. I was able to survive on my student loan. I don't know how much has changed since I was a student but hopefully that will help you in some ways! Speak to someone who deals with housing benefit at your council and they should be able to help you. If not maybe try CAB

I am currently a student (2nd year uni) and I DO receive full housing benefit. It is worked out on my total income which is:

• Maintenance Loan

-Special support grant -Parents Learning allowance -Childcare grant -Child benefit and tax credit

some of this income is disregarded by housing benefit and some is only counted as income for part (term time) of the year. It works out that I have an income after the diregards of about £100 per week, which is below the amount to qualify for housing benefit. Also I don't have to pay any council tax.

As a student midwife, I think you would be entitled to an NHS bursary which I believe is instead of the maintenance loan/support grant/ PLA and roughly the same amount. I know someone who receives an NHS bursary while studying a degree in nursing who also gets full housing benefit, so I'm quite sure you would qualify too.

It sounds like you are going to a college of further education in which case student loans, grants bursaries etc are not available.

If the college deems the course to be part time you would be eligible for jsa.
As a lone parent you would be eligible for housing benefit.
You may be able to get a career development loan not sure where to go for that.
There is not a great deal of help for people doing further education. You need to find a welfare benefits advisor try cab or shelter

Ok thanks for all the info!

Sorry just re-read your original post. You are about to start the access course in september, not currently on it and going to uni in september as I thought before.

Definitely speak to the college you will be attending ASAP. The college I did my access course at were able to produce a letter that was cleverly worded so that those who needed to claim JSA, would still be entitled, even though it was a full-time course. It was something along the lines of 'X is required to attend college for XX hours per week' (I think it has to be under 16 or 24). Either way, with or without JSA, you will qualify for housing benefit based on your income.

You will still have to sign on every fortnight and look for work though, but as a lone parent you are allowed to restrict the hours you will work to school hours. Also it will actually help your application for midwifery at uni if you have had some related work experience. Maybe looking for a job that would give you that experience (even if its just a few hours per week) would be possible for you. This would satify your JSA requirements as well as benefiting your uni application.

Definitely speak to the college though and also ask if they have a discretionary learner support fund. I did the access course 3 years ago, so hopefully this is still current. Not only did they refund they course cost I had paid upfront, they also paid my child care costs and an allowance towards travel too. This help was given on a first come first served basis though, and was not an unlimited pot, so get in quick for this if it is still available.

I was going to start this exact same thread!

I too am starting an access course in September (it's part time), and want to do the nursing degree afterwards.

My current benefits situation is slightly different as my son has a disability and receives DLA, and I receive carer's allowance and a payment of income support (smaller than the full amount of IS as I get carer's).

I know at degree level there are NHS bursaries available. It's the college year I am unsure of too.