Current year assessment ruling

scarlet-pimpernel

Due to altered financial circumstances we were assessed on our current estimated family income for 2009/10. We have now provided the correct figures and documentation. We also filled in the details for 2008/9 for the coming academic year (2010/11) as required on line, providing more evidence as it was asked for.

The final letter from SF has said the 2009/10 figures will be carried over and used for 2010/2011. I phoned to query this and was told it was a government decision. We are not too happy with this as our total income for 2008/9 was around £13,000 and this is not being taken into account. When I asked that if our income was zero would this still be the case she said yes!

This means they will be using the same figures 3 years running.

The consequence is that we do not get the full maintenance grant for either offspring next year. One gets most of it but the other is on a less generous schedule from 2007.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Taiko

Lots of people, it's part of the regulations I'm afraid.

MT90

I'm confused.

08/09 = £13 000
09/10 = X
10/11 = Y

What is X and Y?

The way I am reading it is, your income has increase in X and is being used to calculate Y?

scarlet-pimpernel

The standard way is to calculate the approaching years SF amounts on income 2 years ago eg for 2010/11 income for 2008/9. These were the figures we provided and expected to be used.

However, because we were assessed for 2009/10 on current year's income these figures will be used again for academic year 2011/12 (2 years after 2009/10 as we would expect).

The using of these figures for the coming year were a complete surprise and makes it 3 in a row.

I don't see why they can't use the usual figures but, hey ho, rules are rules.

Thanks for the verification Taiko

Taiko

Just to add, we're currently raising queries on CYI assessments with the powers that be. We're looking at it from a split assessment perspective, because technically speaking you could have a student who started last year on current income, and one starting this year. The new student would be assessed on 08/09 income, the older one on 09/10 which makes the assessment wrong.

If there's any further guidance, I'll update.

scarlet-pimpernel

I've written to my new MP about this. It's costing us several hundred pounds and it could have been thousands if we had crept over the magic barrier for top up busaries. So I guess it could be be more for others.