Disabled and want to go to college - will I lose benefits?

supersaverkerry

Can anyone help me by advising what would happen to my benefits if I were to go to college?

Right now I get incapacity benefit, income support topup, DLA mid care and low mobility, I also get LHA for my rent.

Right now I am housebound and very unhappy, my support worker thinks it would be good for me to try a college course, it wont start till next year but I have to put in applications and got to interviews etc... so I need to start planning now.

Due to my illness I will need some support, my current support worker has agreed to attend some classes with me to get me settled and to look at the student disability support available.

Whats happens to my benefits if I were to go to college? Would I lose the incapacity and the income support? Would I still get LHA?

The course is 4 days a week from 10.30-2.30 I think.

I hope to get funding to cover the £900 course fee and the registration fee and the course materials.

Please do not say if I well enough to go to college I am well enough to work because that is not the case, I can only go to college due to the support I am going to be getting, if I wasnt able to get that support I wouldnt be able to go, plus there is a lot of things I need to do in the meantime to build up to going to college, Im not work shy and I am really hoping that going to college will improve my chances of employment because right now I have no qualifications due to being unwell since I was in my early teens, I am also hoping it will help me to be confident and be a sort of stepping stone into employment.

Can anyone help me by telling me what the situation would be regarding benefits? I realise I might get a cut in benefits but I guess Im just hoping I wouldnt lose it all as I really want to better myself educationally but wouldnt be able to support myself financially.

dmg24

Are you studying at below degree level? If so, you can continue to claim your benefits as normal. If you were receiving student finance (grant, loan etc) this could affect your entitlement.

Good luck!

Indie_Kid

Because you're on income support, you're entitled to a fee waiver.

dmg24

sh1305 wrote: »

Because you're on income support, you're entitled to a fee waiver.

That would depend on the course Titch89. Not all courses attract a fee waiver.

Oldernotwiser

Not only the course but the college's policy; it isn't automatic.

Indie_Kid

dmg24 wrote: »

Titch89.

Even if there is a fee waiver (I was led to believe this was a nationwide thing) there would be course materials fee to pay for.

kingfisherblue

I received a fee waiver for a degree course because I was on IS (but no disability allowances, although I recceive Carer's Allowance as my son is disabled). I also received a grant of £250 a year to cover travel, books, etc. This was for a part time course, but I received it every year for the five years it took to complete. I applied through the Student Finance section of the local council. You may want to discuss your options with them - I found them to be very knowledgable and accurate on information concerning benefits, entitlements and the amount of hours allowed for study.

Good luck x

supersaverkerry

its an access course, I want to become a nurse eventually and plan to to do the access to science for health proffesions course, its undergraduate I guess? Certainly not degree level, the fee is £900 andf I am hoping I may get something to help with the books I need and maybe travel, but if it would just get taken from my benefit then it may not be worth applying for the grant for these things and maybe i should just apply for the course funding.

The thing is, I thought students couldnt get help with their rent payments? And surely the job center wont let me carry on claiming incapcity and income support if I am studying? I know that DLA will not be effected.

Also would a disabled student grant be taken into account by the jobcenter? Its been suggested that I may be able to apply for that to cover the help I will need.

Indie_Kid

If it's not degree level, then the finance and funding is completely different. You can't claim grants and loans from student finance.

For travel, they may argue that you use your DLA mobility. (if you receive it)

ladylumps45

what if someone was studying a degree and in the same situation? what happens then with benefits?

Indie_Kid

Degree is different. All finance avaliable to a student is taken into consideration; but some loans and grants are ignored.