Disabled and going to college?

Shamish

Hi,

I currently receive the highest Mobility DLA and Incapacity Long Term i was thinking of going to college but dont want to go and lose my incapacity and struggle and college and not get back on Incapacity.

The only reason i'm on Incapacity just now is because of the youth rules (It took them a year sort out my claim for this)

Do you know if i can study from home and still receive my benefits or study part time and it wont affect my benefits?

Is there a possibilty of going to college and then going back on Incapacity if i have to stop this?

We would really struggle if i went to college and could'nt handle it as we would loss a lot of income each week. But i want to go to college and see how i cope now. I've been in the past and could'nt handle it but feel i'm doing better now

Thanks

Shamish

Ted_Hutchinson

If you are thinking of ATTENDING college then you have to find out how many hours of study your course requires.

If the course is 21 hrs then the IB is usually forfeit although legally you cannot be treated as capable of work simply because you are on a full/part-time course.But they do have the tendency to stop your benefit and make you appeal to get it back.

The safest thing to do is an Open University course as these are totally safe as the DWP will not consider OU courses as the "equivalent" of work but a lot of people have found problems physically attending college for more than 21 hrs, in fact many people under 21hrs have had problems as the IBDM may count hrs of private study as part of the course.

Disability Alliance

If you think this administration wants to help Disabled People stand on their own 2 feet you are mistaken. First chance they get they will kick any crutches away.

Shamish

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

If you are thinking of ATTENDING college then you have to find out how many hours of study your course requires.

If the course is 21 hrs then the IB is usually forfeit although legally you cannot be treated as capable of work simply because you are on a full/part-time course.But they do have the tendency to stop your benefit and make you appeal to get it back.

The safest thing to do is an Open University course as these are totally safe as the DWP will not consider OU courses as the "equivalent" of work but a lot of people have found problems physically attending college for more than 21 hrs, in fact many people under 21hrs have had problems as the IBDM may count hrs of private study as part of the course.

Disability Alliance

If you think this administration wants to help Disabled People stand on their own 2 feet you are mistaken. First chance they get they will kick any crutches away.

Thanks Ted

Would i have to inform the benefits agency if i goto college?

My wife is going to study English and Maths highers and i was thinking of doing these also.

I believe these would only be part time so would'nt be anymore than 1 day or 2 afternoons.

Thanks

I may try and phone this disability alliance on Tuesday and see what they say

Thanks

Ted_Hutchinson

It is my opinion there is no legal basis for the insistance that you should inform the DM of part-time education of less than 21hrs, however if you don't and they find out, and they will because the college will ask for your NI number, your benefit will probably be ended and you will be called for interview by the fraud squad.

Now as I have suggested I don't think they have a leg to stand on but do you want to go through that kind of hassle.

It's probably best to inform them and detail exactly the hrs of supervised study the course entails. Explain how you manage transport, access, what happens if you have a bad day or whatever so that they know that you are still to ill to work and the course tutors are aware of your illness and have made arrangements to accommodate your special needs.
That way you can earn some brownie points while not putting your claim in jeopardy.

Shamish

Thanks Ted not to sure now whether i will LOL.

Dont want to put my claim into jeapordy

My do the course and just do it from home

Thanks for the advice

BTW Does anybody know where the thanks buttons have went i wanted to thank you for your replys but cant see it :S

Menagerie_2

Hi, I'm sorry to just jump in your thread, Shamish, but I'm in a similar situation and didn't know who to talk to about it.

I've suffered with severe depression now for quite a few years. I want to do a course in September, I think it's about 16 hours per week, not because I'm feeling any stronger but because (and sorry if this is very heavy and depressing!) I don't think I have the strength to carry on feeling so worthless, not doing anything with my life, and if doing the course (in animal health and welfare) kills me then It'll be worth it, because the other option, not doing it, will do the same anyway. This is how I feel, very strongly.

I get DLA and income support I think, though the income support is more than the usual £45ish, maybe this is because I've been on it for so long - it goes up after a while doesn't it? Anyway, if I do the course, as it's just 16 hourse will my DLA stop? If so what will happen to the amout of income support I get? Are there any other benefits I could claim?

From my experience with social services it'll be no good trying to explain why I'm doing the course (it's actually because I'm getting worse, not better), and so I do expect them to stop some benefits.

Thanks so much for any advice you can give me.

Ted_Hutchinson

The DLA you are getting will mean you have a "disability premium" and possibly a "severe Disability Premium" as well added to your income support so it will be more than the basic.
Disability Alliance UK - 2006 Benefit Rates

Your DLA should not be affected by doing a part-time course. However they may be concerned that the hours of attendance together with the hours of supervised study took you over the limit and implied that you should in fact be actively seeking work.

Your local benefit office has a Disability Employment Adviser and this would be the person to discuss this issue with. I found that it was a bit like having a friend in the DWP office as they can see things from both sides and obviously want to help people back to work in a way that makes best use of the benefits, schemes etc available.

However this isn't a statement that can be relied on absolutely by everyone.

If you wrote something in your claim form which your now going to college and doing a course on animal health/welfare seems to contradict then they could look at your whole claim again.
If the course you were thinking about was bricklaying and you claimed in your DLA form that you couldn't bend or lift weights they would smell a rat about the kind of course you are doing.
If your DLA was on mental health grounds and you claimed you couldn't leave the house at all, then they might think a significant improvement in your health had occured and your current rate was inappropriate.
Without a copy of your orginal claim form it's impossible to give a definite answer.
Discussing the matter with an experienced welfare rights person in a face to face scenario would be best as then the adviser will be better able to tell if what you are now claiming is consistent with your original DLA claims.
So try and get to a Welfare Rights Adviser
It would also be worth contacting
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equine_induced_poverty

Hi,
I am disabled and suffering a debilitating condition and I am doing a Open University course. All my course fees are paid, I get a non-repayable grant, money for travel and an assistant for tutorials, and the Disabled students association are providing me with everything I need to help me do the coursework, i.e. a pc, speech software etc. Please seriously consider the Open University as an option. I have not had to fight for anything, they have fallen over them selves to help me. Its the best thing I have ever done.
Good Luck with whatever you decide.

Menagerie_2

Thanks Ted for that advice. I shall deffinately use that info and seek out the right people to advise me. Probably starting with the Disability Employment Adviser. Cheers for that!

Also, EIP - thanks for your suggestion. Ideally I'd want to do an OU course. But they don't do any courses that I need. The closest place that does is 60 miles away! Quite honestly I don't know how I'm going to manage. I'm really, really scared. And probably the worst thing is having to sort out the money situation.

Menagerie_2

Just to let you know - the benefits advisor has said disabled people's benefits are not affected if they do a course, even a full time course, so long as they don't qualify for a grant or loan, if you get either of those it affects your benefit. Otherwise, nothing changes. I didn't actually speak to them myself, someone else did on my behalf, but this is what they said. I hope that reassures others