Full time student / benefit advice??

need2savenewbie

Hello.

my husband is signed off work long term and has just started college. i intend to return to university this year. we are in receipt of income support, incapacity benefit etc.

can anyone tell me what happens when i get financial help for university? i have been told due to our lack of finances i am entitled to grants and loans, but does this mean our benefits will stop and we will therefore have to pay our full rent?

any help greatly appreciated, thanks:eek:

Oldernotwiser

All your student income (loans/grants/bursaries) will be counted as income and used to assess means tested benefits. This will affect IS/HB (LHA)/CTC but not IB or DLA.

Depending on how much rent you pay you may still be eligible for some help. Put your figures into https://www.entitledto.co.uk for an estimate or see your student welfare/student services department.

emidee

Hi (again) Need2savenewbie,

The above isn't quite true - which student loans, grants are taken into account for assessment depends on what you're applying for. benefits & tax credits are different.

Basically, Tax Credits only take account of the Adult Dependants grant; whereas calculations for all other benefits take into account all student support except the Tuition Fee Loan, Childcare Grant, Special Support Grant & Parent's learning Allowance. Full details can be found on these websites - I'm not allowed to post links as a 'newbie' so I've had to be creative!:

FOR TAX CREDITS
Go to the HMRC (dot gov dot uk) website & search for a page called 'Other Income - how to work it out for your tax credits claim'.

and

FOR ALL OTHER BENEFITS
Go to the Direct (dot gov dot uk) website & search for a page called 'Which types of student finance are counted as income when working out benefits?'

All the info regarding what will be taken into account is on these two pages.

Good luck & HTH - very sorry about no links!
Emily xx.

Oldernotwiser

emidee wrote: »

Hi (again) Need2savenewbie,

The above isn't quite true - which student loans, grants are taken into account for assessment depends on what you're applying for. benefits & tax credits are different.

.

But there's been no question of tax credits and nobody refers to them as benefits ! Neither the OP or her husband are working, so neither of them will be eligible for WTC anyway!

[Deleted User]

But they will be able to get CTC

Oldernotwiser

Shivster wrote: »

But they will be able to get CTC

Yes, of course but the context of the post makes it clear that it's WTC that's meant, not CTC.

elfen

When you go to uni, make sure you apply for the Special Support Grant NOT the Maintainence Grant. The SSG isn't counted as income whereas the MG is! You need to supply proof of benefits for the tax year (not certain, so don't quote me, 08/09 I think) and there IS a form for this (benefits confirmation form) which you'll need to print off and send in when you do your finance. Also make sure you apply for the things you're entitled to

emidee

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But there's been no question of tax credits and nobody refers to them as benefits ! Neither the OP or her husband are working, so neither of them will be eligible for WTC anyway!

I was simply trying to point out things the OP MAY be eligible for, given her low income at the moment. I wrongly assumed that the Op MAY have children, and therefore MAY continue to be eligible for CTC. Why the hell you are choosing to nit-pick about every post I write today is beyond me.

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

All your student income (loans/grants/bursaries) will be counted as income and used to assess means tested benefits. This will affect IS/HB (LHA)/CTC but not IB or DLA.

Just because you were wrong here is no need to have a go at me when I was simply trying to help the OP. Maybe before you offer your opinion you should find some evidence to back it up next time.

I thought MSE was going to be a useful site, but if everyone who posts here is going to be as unfriendly as you, I'm not going to bother anymore.

Sorry to the OP for getting off-topic.

Nickynoo1

emidee wrote: »

I was simply trying to point out things the OP MAY be eligible for, given her low income at the moment. I wrongly assumed that the Op MAY have children, and therefore MAY continue to be eligible for CTC. Why the hell you are choosing to nit-pick about every post I write today is beyond me.



Just because you were wrong here is no need to have a go at me when I was simply trying to help the OP. Maybe before you offer your opinion you should find some evidence to back it up next time.

I thought MSE was going to be a useful site, but if everyone who posts here is going to be as unfriendly as you, I'm not going to bother anymore.

Sorry to the OP for getting off-topic.

Agreed, think nit picking is not really helpful.

Oldernotwiser

emidee wrote: »

I was simply trying to point out things the OP MAY be eligible for, given her low income at the moment. I wrongly assumed that the Op MAY have children, and therefore MAY continue to be eligible for CTC. Why the hell you are choosing to nit-pick about every post I write today is beyond me.



Just because you were wrong here is no need to have a go at me when I was simply trying to help the OP. Maybe before you offer your opinion you should find some evidence to back it up next time.

I thought MSE was going to be a useful site, but if everyone who posts here is going to be as unfriendly as you, I'm not going to bother anymore.

Sorry to the OP for getting off-topic.

I'm not picking on you but you chose to introduce the subject of tax credits into two threads where they weren't relevant. Your earlier post clearly shows that you were talking about WTC and not CTC, however much you may choose to back track now.

You might be able to tell by my feedback that my posts are generally seen as helpful and always intended to be that way.

I agree with you on the importance of not taking the thread off topic any more.