special support grant-help?!

divastrop

I applied for SF at the start of April and after many phonecalls and sending of evidence I received my notification of entitlement in mid July, which said I would get the maintenance loan, special support grant, parents' learning allowance and childcare grant.
This seemed correct, as I was on Income Support for myself and my husband up until June this year, and since then I have been getting JSA for us both. My husband will be starting a level 3 course at college next week, and I explained this on my original application.

Anyway, last night I checked my SF account and saw that another notification had been sent last saturday. I rang them this morning to find out why and the adviser said I had been re-assessed and had now been awarded the maintenance grant rather than the special support grant. She had no idea why this was, and said she would email the processing dept and get somebody to ring me.
The adviser said it was most likely a mistake on their part as the new notification said I would still be getting the PLA and ADG which are only available to those eligible for the SSG.

However, I am concerned about this and don't understand. I thought everything was sorted but now I don't even know how much money I will get or if I will get it in time

Taiko

You've an underlying entitlement to benefits, and therefore should be getting SSG.

PLA and ADG are available to students who do not receive SSG, so that information is false.

divastrop

Taiko wrote: »

You've an underlying entitlement to benefits, and therefore should be getting SSG.

PLA and ADG are available to students who do not receive SSG, so that information is false.

thank you for your reply. I rang again this morning as I got a letter explaining that the SSG had been awarded incorrectly, but the criteria it had in the letter was different to that on the website etc, as it said my husband had to be in full time higher education. However, the adviser I spoke to today also said that the ADG and PLA were not dependent on getting the SSG.
We should be entitled to housing benefit still according to the local council who spent much time trying to figure it out for us, but it doesn't say anything about this in the SSG criteria.
I am so worried now, I can't do anything until the assessment dept phone me.

lemonjelly

Are PLA and the SSG exclusive then?

Is anyone aware of what the criteria are for claiming PLA? I can't find any info with any detail on this. Websites & books seem to all say that you may qualify for PLA if you are on a low income.

divastrop

I have no idea what the criteria is, I have come to the conclusion that SFE are now making it up as they go along
It is correct, though, that I cannot get the SSG, I have now had this confirmed. They said it is irrelevant that I will be able to get HB, as I don't fall into any of the SSG categories I cannot get it, full stop.
To top it all off, yesterday I got sent some childcare grant audit forms as I have been 'randomly selected' to prove that I am eligible for the CCG. I have to return them by september the 18th or I get nowt.
I am fed up with it, I applied in March and I thought it would all be sorted by now.

Taiko

divastrop wrote: »

I have no idea what the criteria is, I have come to the conclusion that SFE are now making it up as they go along
It is correct, though, that I cannot get the SSG, I have now had this confirmed. They said it is irrelevant that I will be able to get HB, as I don't fall into any of the SSG categories I cannot get it, full stop.
To top it all off, yesterday I got sent some childcare grant audit forms as I have been 'randomly selected' to prove that I am eligible for the CCG. I have to return them by september the 18th or I get nowt.
I am fed up with it, I applied in March and I thought it would all be sorted by now.

You've been given incorrect advice.

Paragraph 41(2) of the eligibility guidance states:

A student will be potentially eligible for Special Support Grant if he is a current system student and during the relevant academic year he
is treated as being liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling prescribed for the purposes of section 130(2) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 in regulation 56 of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/213).


Under the above information, you are entitled to claim SSG.

Catbag

My partner and i both get the SSG as we have three children and are both at uni. That said, in the year 2008/2009 it was just my other half that was at uni and he was getting the maintenance grant and PLA.

The call centre staff are deplorable in their lack of understanding of how the whole process works. I really would keep calling until they issue you with the correct notification. Good luck!