Housing benefit mess looming

tincat

Hi all,

I posted on the student board but have had no response so will put short version here. The full long boring story is here. Any advice would be appreciated.

The student loans office has been extremely slow to get my final loan status letter to me, which I need to give the income support office. My income support was stopped in November because of this. It looks like I will only get this letter in February (if I'm lucky)

I have 2 children at primary school
I'm a full time student in first year uni
I pay rent of £1000pm
My only income at present is housing benefit and child tax credit (and child benefit), and the student loan payments as detailed below.

I'm worried I will not be entitled to income support because the student loan payments are quite a lot, and I will not be entitled to receive housing benefit.

I'm also worried that I may have to pay back any housing benefit I've received since November.

My payment schedule has been as follows:

03/02/2010 Tuition Fee Loan UNIVERSITY £1,612.50 Approved 2009/10 Second
05/05/2010 Tuition Fee Loan UNIVERSITY £1,612.50 Approved 2009/10 Interim
22/10/2009 Supplementary Grant Student £969.00 Paid 2009/10 Second
04/01/2010 Supplementary Grant Student £969.00 Paid 2009/10 Third
12/04/2010 Supplementary Grant Student £968.00 Approved 2009/10 First
29/09/2009 Student Support Loan Student £1,646.04 Paid 2009/10 Second
04/01/2010 Student Support Loan Student £1,646.04 Paid 2009/10 Third
12/04/2010 Student Support Loan Student £1,695.92 Approved

karenx

I thought when recieving loans and grants you do not qualify for income support as they payments are more than IS?
So if not recieving IS I didnt think you would qualify for full housing benefit? £1000 seems an awful lot to pay also! So you might only recieve a small amount of housing benefit and have to pay the shortfall! Whats your LHA rate? I think you would only get the 2 bedroom rate also depending on age of the children

tincat

Hi Karen,

My allowance is £1100 for a 2 bedroom, so I am within the limit.

I know that ordinarily students do not receive income support, but I was told by other students on this board months ago that parent / students do.

Oldernotwiser

You won't be likely to get IS when your Student Loan(not the tuition fee loan or the Special Support Grant) is taken into account and it's also possible that your HB will be reduced.

Have you asked your Lone Parent Adviser to run the figures through for you as she ought to be able to give you an indication of how much your HB may go down ?

tincat

Thanks OlderNW

They won't tell me anything without the letter I need from student loans co.

The advisor said that when they get the final notification of my student loan status, it will be sent off for appraisal, so she can't tell me any estimations at all.

I feel like I'm in Limbo.

However, you say that it's possible my HB will be reduced. That would at least be positive news if I can still count on getting some. From what you can see of my income / rent, do you have any idea if I will still get it?

Oldernotwiser

tincat wrote: »

I know that ordinarily students do not receive income support, but I was told by other students on this board months ago that parent / students do.

Actually, I replied to your query back in April and I said

"When studying at this level full time, someone in this position will be eligible for all student funding: Fee Loan, Student Loan, Maintenance Grant, University Bursary, Childcare Grant. Most of this funding will be treated as income for benefits purposes but may be topped up (usually LHA) depending on applicable amounts but you won't get IS in this situation. "

Oldernotwiser

tincat wrote: »

However, you say that it's possible my HB will be reduced. That would at least be positive news if I can still count on getting some. From what you can see of my income / rent, do you have any idea if I will still get it?

Somebody may well be able to do the sums for you (it's not my field) but, if you work out the weekly amount you get as a Student Loan and feed the figures into https://www.entitledto.co.uk as income, that should give you a rough idea.

tincat

Is there a way for me to check what amount of LHA I should be able to get, now that it is obvious what actual payments I'm receiving?

I'm desperate to know whether it's going to be a tenner a month or £500 or £800, just so I can start working out how I'm going to pay rent when it's all decided.

It's the not knowing whether I will have to pay back money already paid to landlord and other such details that are affecting everything.

Thanks

ETA - posted as you posted yours

tincat

Unfortunately entitledto won't calculate for me as I'm a student.

karenx

Did you check here?
https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx

That will give you the maximum weekly amount they will pay but thats if you are awarded full entitlement but as you might not be then it will be less. That will give you an idea, sorry if thats where you already checked!

tincat

karenx wrote: »

Did you check here?
https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx

That will give you the maximum weekly amount they will pay but thats if you are awarded full entitlement but as you might not be then it will be less. That will give you an idea, sorry if thats where you already checked!

Thanks Karen,

Have to go pick up kids now but will check when I get back.