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Single Parent student
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Caz3121
Posts: 15,832 Forumite
My daughter has a 3 year old and recently started an access to primary education course to fulfill an ambition to get herself a career in primary teaching.
She works part time and receives child tax credits, working tax credits with childcare help for her working hours and some housing benefit.
She had an advisor for "Working for Families" and the course is through the SWAP program http://www.scottishwideraccess.org/ and student loans don't apply.
She intends to keep her part time job as this is flexible shift work and is in college 5 days a week (mostly mornings) and this has meant increasing the childcare.
When first going to student services re bursary she was told she would not apply as she was getting working tax credits so she had to try and work out whether to give up working or not. She was then told that this was incorrect and if she was on income support then she would not get a bursary. Anyway all forms filled in and went in today to be told might get some bursary but childcare funding long gone so no help there.
We have sat tonight and did the sums and before bursary (and without any debt payments) she has about £50 per month for food for the 2 of them. (dad is on low income and pays what he can and this includes this)
We doubt that tax credits will increase the hours they pay for as these are not working hours. So she can claim help with tax credits for working hours, has the 15 hours free sessions but still ends up with fairly large bill (which she currently can't afford to pay)
I have suggested looking at childminders rather than nursery as it may be cheaper (but he loves nursery) Due to Scotland dates he will not be starting school till he is 5 so potentially 2 years of this (she has interview for teacher training college in January) She is really upset as there have been other students on the course who have working husbands on good income bragging about getting full bursary and all their childcare....it seems as she was given the incorrect information at the start she has lost out.
She is worried that she is going to have to abandon the course. Does anyone have any idea of where she can go for help
many thanks
She works part time and receives child tax credits, working tax credits with childcare help for her working hours and some housing benefit.
She had an advisor for "Working for Families" and the course is through the SWAP program http://www.scottishwideraccess.org/ and student loans don't apply.
She intends to keep her part time job as this is flexible shift work and is in college 5 days a week (mostly mornings) and this has meant increasing the childcare.
When first going to student services re bursary she was told she would not apply as she was getting working tax credits so she had to try and work out whether to give up working or not. She was then told that this was incorrect and if she was on income support then she would not get a bursary. Anyway all forms filled in and went in today to be told might get some bursary but childcare funding long gone so no help there.
We have sat tonight and did the sums and before bursary (and without any debt payments) she has about £50 per month for food for the 2 of them. (dad is on low income and pays what he can and this includes this)
We doubt that tax credits will increase the hours they pay for as these are not working hours. So she can claim help with tax credits for working hours, has the 15 hours free sessions but still ends up with fairly large bill (which she currently can't afford to pay)
I have suggested looking at childminders rather than nursery as it may be cheaper (but he loves nursery) Due to Scotland dates he will not be starting school till he is 5 so potentially 2 years of this (she has interview for teacher training college in January) She is really upset as there have been other students on the course who have working husbands on good income bragging about getting full bursary and all their childcare....it seems as she was given the incorrect information at the start she has lost out.
She is worried that she is going to have to abandon the course. Does anyone have any idea of where she can go for help
many thanks
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