Single parent students

[MiaWallace]

Can anyone tell me if they were able to claim income support and housing benefit on top of their other student entitlements?

not single parent, but AFAIK you should be able to as you are entitled to most benefits (except where there is an equivilant from the SLC).

HAve you tried applying and been refused or is it that you want to apply?

It seems to be a very big grey area. I have bene looking at courses I am interested in and some people seem to get told yes and others no. I think it depends on wether they take all of the grants, loans etc that you get as your income or not. Aparently some areas count the money you are given for childcare and they are not supposed to.

Planning to go to university in October.

Tried to find out but like you say Nuttymuffins there is conflicting information everytime I ask.

So confused

i got housing and child tax credit. dont know why no income support but i was better off as a student by about £10 per week. uni prob has a mature student rep and a finance officer who should be able to help

I did this - you can get housing benefit and council tax benefit (you should pay nothing as a single parent student). Free prescriptions, glasses, etc. Free school meals for kiddies if needed (mine were too young & too old for this). No income support during term time - but can claim in the holidays.

This link was quite good here

Thanks for the replies. Joash and gigglinggoblin was you able to claim full housing benefit i.e the same amount you was entitled to before becoming a student

were NOT was

Not sure becasue I became a single parent whilst being a student so first tiime claiming anything (well 1st time in 28 years getting old). But I did get a substantial amount of my rent paid. My rent is £600 a month and I got somewhere around £530 ish.

My friend at Uni is a single aprent (5 kids!) and has had all this. She gets student income interm time, which is slightky more than benefits alone- personally I think as she ahs to pay it abck, thats unfair but anyway. She doesn't get HB (house paid for) but another friend does. Not at full amount though, they gave her that and are now claiming it back as she was only entitled to a % with full loan / grant.

First friend also doesn't get Carers Alowance, and neither could I- doesn't matter if youre in Uni 10 hours a week as we are, the rules state that a FT course is 40 hours and therefore you are not caring. Not sure who is then LOL

The Uni also has an access fund where students can get financial help, single aprents and disabled students are the priority.

Go and see a single parent advisor at the job centre my friend did this and they had her sorted out in one afternoon, you'll go round in circles trying to do it yourself online.

Thanks again everyone.

joash sorry to keep bombarding you with questions, but your circumstances sound similar to mine. Can I ask you how many dependents you have? I assume the more dependents, the more HB you can claim.

Hideehi I have considered asking an advisor, but I'm not technically single yet.

Until I finish my Access course I'm continuing to live with ex-p

Hi MiaWallace sorry for the delay. I have two dependants. I know that the more dependants you have, the more allowances you have for living expenses - thus leaving less for rent and so by default should increase how much HB you need IYKWIM.

Depends where you are. In Scotland I can claim housing benefit but no income support, I think in England you still get income support. You will get housing benefit, my uncle works in that department and he says the only students who get housing benefits are single parents!

Oh and I don't get my full rent paid now, about £150 less because they include loans and grants as income and stuff, be we do alright!

Thanks for the information in this topic, I was supposed to uni this September but due to the impending arrival of a new baby I have had to shunt it back a year. I've bookmarked the lovely link NuttyMuffins gave and plan to utilise it next year.

Thanks again.

Agnes