Am I going to end up bankrupt, living in a gutter with LO (but with a degree) :p

[mybumpsaboy]

Hey all,

well I've deferred my PGCE place, so I'll be returning Sept 09 when my LO's 9 months...

But I'm a single mummy, will have had no income except MA for the 9 months previous...

& suddenly have to survive on the £6,000 bursary for a year!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

Am I insane? Is this really a good pay-off into teaching? Is it even POSSIBLE (the rent on my house is £485 a month even before bills etc!!!)

Luckily my incredibly wonderful mother is doing fulltime childcare for me, just for the year

xx

you can still get housing benefit and income support during non-term times, IIRC.

wont you be entitled to housing benefit? im sure you will id check it if i were you. and child tax credits too.

I do ironing and sewing for people from home in the evenings which entitles me to claim tax credits (as long as I work more than 16 hours a week) as I'm classed as self employed.

You can ask the Uni for money from their access to learning fund aswell.

hi! you will aslo be entiltled to part of student loan and parents learning alllowance...as far as i am aware, i start mine 2009, degree permitting!

hi katiekins, yeah me too...

what will you be studying in 09 & at which uni?

x

can you not get a student loan?

you should be entitled to CTC, HB and a little bit of income support (but not much cos they will take the £6000 a year and student loan into account first)

Can you not get a place on the GTTR, where you get paid a liveable salary where the year is more school based?

are we still eligible for a student loan as well as the bursary on the PGCE??? that would certainly help!

Hi,

Just starting my PGCE. You should be entitled to the maintenance grant £2845 from your LEA and possibly the childcare grant, up to 85% of childcare cost for first child,also costs for other children. I'm sure you can also get housing benefit too. Check out the TES website, there's loads of ino on there too. Hope this helps.