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income support HELP!!

codygirl
codygirl Posts: 16 Forumite
in Benefits & tax credits
hi,

Can I ask to stay on income support rather than keeping CM. i am student with 4 children CM. What I get for a bursary will mostlikely be taken off my rent benefit( I am hoping it will equal out) so I am not going to be better of I am scared incase I am worse off. I have tried CAB, council themself but no one can give me an answer.

Any guidence or personal experience welcome.


Thanks.

Comments

  • LittleTinker
    LittleTinker Posts: 2,841 Forumite
    No is the quick answer.

    You cannot choose to stay on one benefit if you are no longer able to get it due to a change in circumstance..........even if it does mean that you will be getting another benefit.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
    What's CM?

    Also, as you mention a bursary, I assume that you're a full time HE student. This means that you should also have taken out your student loan. Your IS will be assessed on this money, whether you take it out or not. You can't choose to stay on IS and not take out the student loan. You should be no worst off living on student finance, although you will be accrueing debt. Have you applied for all the additional finance available to parents who are students?

    Edit: In light of Kimberley's clarification re Child Maintenance, if your loan/bursaries cancel out your IS/HB, you'd be able to keep the CM, which could mean that you're better off, particularly allowing for Dependents' Grant etc.
  • Kimberley
    Kimberley Posts: 14,871 Forumite
    CM is child maintenance. CM is supposed to work like that so the father supports his child as much as possible so the Government doesn't, therefore of course you will be worse off getting the CM instead.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
    Kimberley wrote: »
    CM is child maintenance. CM is supposed to work like that so the father supports his child as much as possible so the Government doesn't, therefore of course you will be worse off getting the CM instead.

    Thank you. What matters is that the absent parent supports his/her child, not that you're better off! (Sorry, OP, off topic!)
  • rachnbri
    rachnbri Posts: 953 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    After 27th October 2008 child maintenance will not be taken into account for housing benefit calculation.
This discussion has been closed.
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