Bursary

[beaujangles12]

Hi All, hopefully someone may know the answer to this. My now 18yr old child has been awarded a bursary by his school of £24 a week towards books, travel, clothing etc. I am on income support and the carers allowance for looking after my eldest son already gets taken off my IS allowance. I receive council tax support and mortgage interest support also. For the first time I have been asked by the council tax department for evidence of my youngest sons financial breakdown for the future regarding his education including any education bursaries he recieves. Does this mean for post A level? Or currently, if currently, as I have not been asked for this information before, I have not notified them he recieves this bursary. Will it be taken our of my income support claim or stop my council tax relief? Many thanks....have lost sleep over it!

Sorry, I have no answer but I didn't want to leave your thread empty.
Hopefully someone will be here to help soon, I really hope you find out and don't lose any more sleep!

Thanks, I appreciate that...... hopefully someone will enlighten me :-)

Is the money your DS gets the "16-19 Bursary Fund"? If so, have a look on the www.gov.uk or the school website for further information. My DC's school website says payment of a 16-19 Bursary "will not affect any benefits or financial support you are receiving from elsewhere." I assume that's because it's your DS' money, not your money, so it shouldn't affect your benefits.

I'm a bit confused about why the council tax office are asking for info on your DS' money. Is it the single adult discount you are getting? If so, all they need to know is that he is still studying at school (so not considered an "adult") for you to be eligible for the discount. But perhaps there's something else more complicated going on.

Thanks for that, i will check the link......I don't get single persons discount, I get full rebate as I am on IS and my eldest son is in reciept of DLA and ESA. I've never been asked for the info before and the job centre now have all my savings, current account info twice over in the last month, annual check for IS and then the three yearly check, duplication duplication! But IS ask for evidence of my youngest sons savings also as I claim tax credit for him, but never been asked by council tax to provide any further evidence for my youngest son......perhaps because he just turned 18??

I haven't got a clue sorry. Your sons educational income shouldn't be taken into account in their calculations, because it's only to cover the additional costs of his education, but I think the best bet would be to go to the citizens advice who will have the full legal knowledge and correct advice.
In my experience the dwp sometimes lie forget guidelines and policy, or apply them incorrectly, but you need to be 100% on your facts to deal with them. I've spent part of today ripping a new arsehole discussing with dwp somebody elses pip claim and it's suprising how they do seem to forget what they should or should not be doing or taking into account as income.

Ps on the council tax, if up till now you've been the only adult, you will have been getting the single person discount. And then the amount that's left is what council tax support pays. If however now your son is 18 he was not in education, but not working either, you would no longer get the single person discount, and council tax support would be paying the full amount for you, rather than the current reduced rate. So although it makes no difference to how much council tax you pay, whether he's in full time education effects how much council tax support is paid on your behalf. So council tax department may just be asking for evidence he is still in full time education.

Hi, my eldest son is 22 and in receipt of DLA and ESA. I am his full time carer. I think this is why I have been given a full rebate??