Splitting up over student finance

[samsonthecat]

I’m in bits. Dp of 5 years who lives with me will not allow me to add him to DD student finance application. The rules say I have to give his details as household income. The only way out I can see is that he moves out and we are over.
i am heartbroken and would like a hand hold please.

how is that any less fraudulent than OP pretending she is single?

@Hardlyworking no, sorry. The household income where the student predominantly lives. Bit trickier if they live totally 50/50 between 2 homes, but if there’s one main ‘home’ in a legal sense, it’s that household income (for the maintenance loan, which is the only means tested bit).

I have heard of people using the other parent's address if they are divorced if that's lower. I don't have this option, I have one income, mine, and no partner and we still don't get that much, you have to be very disadvantaged to have a household income that attracts the maximum loan.

Ultimately, this is all loans, not grants, so I wouldn't feel too guilty about doing the thing best for your daughter and your household as a whole, because if she gets less loan, that's less to repay and you will have to make up the difference anyway.

No, you are expected to make it up to the quoted figure. Not to "whatever you can"
www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loan-parental-contribution-tool/guide/

@JulesJules there's no law to say you have to. You just help out with what you can.

Don't lie on form and risk your DD's loan. He's being a prick if you've already told him. You and her Dad will pay. It sounds like he doesn't want you to know how much he earns.

Of course there isn't a law. But you are expected to make it up. This shouldn't really come as a shock to parents.

No way would I add DP’s income. He’s not their dad and has no responsibility for them.

We do this. I have twins and based on my income they’d get the minimum loan but on their dad’s income they get the full loan. They lived 50/50 with each of us so it was a no brainer to use their dad’s house for the finance application. I could afford to support 1 child but not 2 at the same time and the loans system makes no allowances for having multiple kids at uni.

Where I live the student takes out a £2,500 loan from the government and they pay the fees - so 9000 - £2500.

There are grants availabe on a sliding scale to parents income meaning a couple earning £65K plus have to pay their keep at Uni.

Lower end a parent on £20K - the student gets a full grant - which is free apart from the £2,500 annual loan.

This means poorer students can survive and claim on one household:

Two parents earning less than the average salary have to support all their children through Uni.

So the students get a degree for £7,500 loan, and most parents have to pay.

Very few get the maximum grant and there are no loans.

These kids have to get jobs to help support themselves:

If the roles were reversed and it was his chd would ypu be happy to be added onto thr form? If so and he is not giving you the same commitment then you need to rethink what you are doing in this relationship

Well you tell him you either need his income details to put on the form or he moves out. It doesn't have to mean your relationship is over, unless you want to end it.

Just apply for the minimum loan amount - you would be getting that anyway if you added him. No fraud committed then.

YOU ARE MOVING WAY TOO FAST!!! DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!

If you do this in Ireland they ask for the police to provide proof of you estrangement and why. I kid you not, there's a form detailing everything the police have to get to prove it.

Some people commenting on here have obviously got no experience of having a child apply for student finance through SFE. I am assuming the OP is in England, as she hasn't said differently, so people saying what students do where they are, are not really relevant to the OP's situation, as it's obviously different.

The student applies and doesn't just fill in household income (some people have suggested putting his income in without his knowledge), each adult in the household is contacted separately and asked to share their income details.

Have you explained to him that you don’t put his financial details, just his contact details and then they send him an email and he has to log in and submit his financial details and you & your daughter don’t actually get to see what he puts? He may be more comfortable if he knows this.

I’d do this. And congratulations on having sound morals.

If his income means she would only get the minimum anyway, there's no use declaring it.

Dunno, it's just what I did so I thought I'd mention it as a solution. In England no police are going to be knocking on the door to check

It doesn't matter for this year anyway if he moved out tomorrow. Income is calculated for the tax year 22/23 for the student loan in 2024.
Just explain to your partner how it works. He's not helping your child get a bigger loan, he's committing fraud. So tell him he either reports his income or she will only get the minimum, then you will have to top up and that may affect the whole household's finances.

Why does he have to consent? Are you giving personal details or just stating his income?

Out of interest if you applied for the loan and then 2 months later partner moved in, it wouldn't affect the loan. Stupid system

My daughter applied for student finance about 8 months ago and received it and no one asked me or my husband for any further information @DietrichandDiMaggio

I think you might be getting rather ahead of yourself... splitting up seems excessive!

Surely you can just have a sensible conversation with him, explaining that you need to include either BOTH your incomes or NEITHER of your incomes and, if you do the latter, DD will actually be worse off.

Personally I'd be inclined to just complete the form with his income anyway, send it off and not mention it again. You don't need his consent.