How do you cope money wise?

[tammybear]

Just wondering as me and dp are having difficulties over how we would cope if we lived together, whilst he's still doing his fulltime degree. Would like to hear other student parents stories, if you dont mind. xxx

i haven't found it too much of a struggle so far, but then i don't have to pay for childcare which would be my main expense. I'm on income support and with tax credits it works out at just under £500 including child benefit, haven't sorted out my student loan yet but don't think it will change the total amount much.

I am trying to be careful but to be honest I don't have time to spend money! Bean is too little to really need anything buying for him so at the moment i'm actually better off than most students. last year, before i had bean, i was living off £500pm but it had to cover rent as well.

One thing i have done which has saved me money is change all my bills to direct debit, and i've stopped phoning my sister on her mobile after i got a bill for £112!

Hi tammy bear, I read your other thread and im not sure why it should be so expensive if you live together? Student income depends on the oursem you are doing. For example, Im a student nurse and had the option between a degree or a diploma. I chose the diploma beasue I still become an RN but i get a bursary of about £6500 a year plus child tax credit and housing benefit. If i was on the degree id get about £2500 in student loans a year and about £3500 in bursay. The loan has to be paid back. So after 3 years id be 7500 in debt. As im going to be a healthcare proffesional Im not going to be earning a fortune so i didnt want to get into debt. Before Ive turned my life around. So Id say that income depends on the course, the number of hours study, amount of time for part tme work etc....

hi, my dp is a student and I don't work, as our ds is 4 months old. The thing is that I am not a citizen, so I dont get any benefits. But dp gets 2500 pounds/year as a dependants grant for supporting me, plus another 1300/year (I think) for supporting our baby. With the 5000 he gets in loans we are just managing. But i'd like to figure out if there are any other benefits we can get. Could we qualify for Housing credit? Its so annoying that we don't qualify for low income, and therefore could not get the 500 pound surestart maternity grant for having our baby!!!!
i would appreciate any advise!Thanks!!!

Hi im sure if you applied for housing benifit you would get it. Its awarded on a sliding scale but every bit adds up! I got free milk again this week because my income is below £13000 so thats a plus. as i say every thing helps. Id go to the citizens advice they will tell you about everything you can apply for! hope that helps

thanks, have applied for housing benefit. Dont know why i didnt do that earlier. thanks for the advice. I have shown up to the CAB too many times and been turned away because there are too many people waiting and too little people to help them.

CAB turned you away? bloody hell. you should ring them up instead!!

an update, definetly wont be able to live together as dp has cancelled his loan for his 2nd year of his degree as he thinks the interest is too much, and would rather pay it off himself, although that means he'll have to pay about £3000 of it from his own back pocket. but thats his choice although i think it seems too much