Student (or maybe not) seeking advice on HB

CALGACUS

Hi All,

I'm currently locked in dispute with my local council's Housing Benefit department. From September last year until the beginning of June this year I was a full-time student at my local university - doing a 1 year, taught, post-graduate course. Naturally, I didn't claim Housing benefit as I know that full-time students aren't eligible for it.

My problem concerns the months of June, July and August. While I was no longer (as far as I'm concerned) a full-time student (no lectures, tutorials, practicals, etc.) I was writing my thesis.

For this reason the HB dept. are refusing to pay me any Housing Benefit for those months. I did get JSA for this period (and I was job seeking) and I wasn't going in to the university, or working, so I find it hard to see how they can refuse my claim for HB.

Apparently, it is because my registration at the university shows me as starting my course in September, ending at the end of August (when my thesis was handed in), and being enrolled full-time. But this just means that during the taught part of the course I was full-time.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Or can offer any advice?

I've been to my Department at the university, and the Dept head has written a letter confirming to the council that I was not a full-time student for this period. I just just would like to know if, in contesting their decision, I'm wasting my time.

I went hugely into debt (even further than I was before!) between June and August - all the time thinking that I would get the money back off the council eventually. It took them almost twelve weeks to decide that they would only pay from September onwards - for the reasons outlined above.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated,

Thanks,

Don.

CALGACUS

Hi again Everyone,

I'm just back from a visit to the Housing Benefit Office.

I've been awarded the Housing Benefit from June to August inclusive i.e. just what I believed I should get!

I'm thrilled:T It isn't getting paid until the 16th September, so I've got a couple of lean weeks ahead, but just knowing that it's on the way is a terrific boost. After going so far into debt (over and above what I was already) to pay my rent, getting confirmation that I'll be getting the money back is tremendous news.

When I posted the above, I didn't think that I would be hearing from them for at least another couple of weeks, and that when I did it would simply be to hear that they'd turned my appeal down..

I just thought that I would post this conclusion to the above - after all, it's possible that some other student might have a similar query sometime.

Cheers,

Don.

Duncombe

...But no doubt your Student Union Card was valid until the end of August, entitling you to all sorts of student only benefits. PG courses run from Sept - Sept. They are 1 year, not one academic year.

The words cake and eat it spring to mind.