Housing Benefit - What Counts As Income?

John38_2

Hi,

I'm after some info for a 25 Y/O friend. Currently in reciept of Income Support (With Severe Disability Premium), Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. His Disability is completely mental health related rather than anything physical.

He's got a place at Uni for September and needs to sort out finance.

I think he's entitled to the full amount of Maintainance Loan, Tuition Fee Loan, his current Disability Living Allowance, Special Support Grant, his University Bursary, as well as a small amount of Housing Benefit because he is disabled. I don't think he will be able to continue to receive Income Support however. He will be staying at home instead of halls because he wouldn't be able to cope with communual living. Obviously he will become council tax exempt.

I've got a few questions:

1) What is counted as 'income' for housing benefit purposes? I believe the Special Support Grant and Disability Living Allowance is NOT counted. What about the Maintainance Loan and University Bursary? (Preferably including a link to the relevant regulations).

2) The Special Support Grant, as well as his continued claim for Housing Benefit (whilst a full time student, which is obviously rare), are dependent on him receiving the disability premium or severe disability premium. He's received this for 5 years, but obviously it'll stop when his Income Support stops when he enters full time education. I'm presuming he will be get the SSG and HB on the basis he received Severe Disability Premium prior to becoming a full time student, otherwise it'd be an impossible benefit to claim as a student!? (Again links to regulations would be very helpful!)

3) I'm aware of the Disabled Students Allowance and Access to Learning Fund as possible funding sources, should he ever need them. Am I missing anything else he might be able to claim?

Cheers!

(PS: Posted in Student Forum and Benefits Forum for obvious reasons!)

Oldernotwiser

He shouldn't rely on getting any money from the ALF as this has been cut back and he'll have more income than most students.

ash4becks

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

He shouldn't rely on getting any money from the ALF as this has been cut back and he'll have more income than most students.

but more costs for geting to uni though mentally if your not feeling great i used to get a taxi to uni as public transport was just to much that day ,
theres so much more than you think Older i had to buy alot of the reading list than use libray i just couldnt concintrate in there, thats at least a few 100 a year extra even thou i did get an allowence for books i stll needed more , i still struggled on a full grant and loan my travel alone was £650-800 that if i was able to use buses etc

silly things like highlighter pens that you may not normally buy all add up aswell as the small other costs you find

make sure he asks about student disablity allowence so he can be supported thoughtout his coursenot money but funding held by the uni to help tell the uni of his extra needs makes a big difference but as soon as posible for your assesment to be done can take a while if you leave it late as i found out

good luck too its not easy but worth it x

with possible note takers i got a free laptop but i do have dyslexia aswell and what really helped me was extra time in exams and assisements because of concintration issues, and i still claimed income support when at uni aswell as housing benift

Oldernotwiser

ash4becks wrote: »

but more costs for geting to uni though mentally if your not feeling great i used to get a taxi to uni as public transport was just to much that day ,
theres so much more than you think Older i had to buy alot of the reading list than use libray i just couldnt concintrate in there, thats at least a few 100 a year extra even thou i did get an allowence for books i stll needed more , i still struggled on a full grant and loan my travel alone was £650-800 that if i was able to use buses etc

silly things like highlighter pens that you may not normally buy all add up aswell as the small other costs you find
t

There are, of course, extra costs if you're disabled; that is what you receive DLA for.

dmg24

What do you mean by living at home? If he is living at his parents he will not be eligible for HB.

I agree with ONW regarding the ALF, it should not be relied on. It is there to cover unexpected circumstances, such as loss of a job, not to supplement regular income.

ash4becks, the costs you mention should be met by DSA and/ or DLA.

ash4becks

dmg24 wrote: »

What do you mean by living at home? If he is living at his parents he will not be eligible for HB.

I agree with ONW regarding the ALF, it should not be relied on. It is there to cover unexpected circumstances, such as loss of a job, not to supplement regular income.

ash4becks, the costs you mention should be met by DSA and/ or DLA.

trust me there not all met by dla/DSA i have did a uni course in the past few years all the DSA payed for laptop, printer, cartriges, internet and note taker and a extra book allowence of £100 for the year

in this there is no moblity for the ops friend and has care needs that maybe payed for via a carer, a taxi for myslef was £20 one way that was out pof my student loan dla didnt cover that when i was there a few times a week maybe that was just my experence though

Indie_Kid

Some of the maintenance loan is ignored.

dmg24

ash4becks wrote: »

trust me there not all met by dla/DSA i have did a uni course in the past few years all the DSA payed for laptop, printer, cartriges, internet and note taker and a extra book allowence of £100 for the year

in this there is no moblity for the ops friend and has care needs that maybe payed for via a carer, a taxi for myslef was £20 one way that was out pof my student loan dla didnt cover that when i was there a few times a week maybe that was just my experence though

In that case you should have been reassessed for DLA. The funds are there for disabled students (including taxi costs), you should not be depriving other students who do not have that option.

ash4becks

dmg24 wrote: »

In that case you should have been reassessed for DLA. The funds are there for disabled students (including taxi costs), you should not be depriving other students who do not have that option.

the money i used was out of my student loan never payed for by the SDA, and the dla money was used on what it should have been used for geting around in taxis for geting shoping from asda but i still was entitailed to dla because i need to be supervised outdoors

Indie_Kid

DSA isn't paid in the form of money - it's equipment.

ash4becks

sh1305 wrote: »

DSA isn't paid in the form of money - it's equipment.

i no that its not in the form of money, but my friend who is blind did have his taxis payed for there and back but was done with a company that had a contract with uni