Advice wanted please - students and benefits!

jovichick123

Hi all,

Was not really sure where to post this so if it is in the wrong place, I apologise in advance!

I am a student with a 19 month old baby, my partner, who moved in with us in March is not currently working and over the summer was able to claim JSA. Since going back to uni in Sept and the arrival of the student loan in my bank account, the JSA has stopped, with the explanation that my loan is higher than the governments living allowance for a couple. I am not claiming the adult dependant grant so my partner has not been considered in the SLC's calculation, only myself and my son.

Are the Jobcentre allowed to do this? Understandably I would not expect him to be able to claim for me or our son (as we are considered by the loan) but surely he should be able to claim for himself?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

Sarah x

outofdate_2

surely you only get JSA in the summer as you are, in theory anyway, available and looking for work? Now you are a FT student you would not be available for work and therefore not able to get JSA.
However, you may be able to get students loan, Higher Education Grant and Parents Learning Allowance. (Ithink that is waht they are all called). I am a single parent and I got a total of about £8.5k. Also I can child benefit and child tax credit. I know I have to pay the loan back but I am much better off now than when i was working last year. Mad!
Check out all the websites for what you are entitled to and good luck !

jovichick123

Hi,

Thanks for reply - I should have been a little clearer, it is not my JSA that has been stopped, it is that of my partner (due, apparently, to the fact that my student loan is more than ample for 3 people to survive on). I just need to know if it is correct that he is unable to claim due to my student loan - it just seems very wrong that a student loan (only calculated on the basis of me and our son) should have to now support three people instead of two!

Thanks for any advice,

Sarah x

lisa.T_2

Hi, Can you cantact the student loan company and apply for the adult dependant grant? I already have my loan and am now applying for the childcare grant, so I presume you could.

Also could you apply for childtax credits jointly?

I think your partner (or you) can claim JSA during the summer holidays , but not during term time.

Lisa x

squeaky

Hi Sarah,

It might well be worth asking your question on the Benefits board here, since, as I read your question, it seems to be more about unavailability of JSA for someone living in a household where one of the partners has an income.

To save duplicating the thread I could move this one across for you, or you could just post a link to this thread. let me know which you'd prefer

clairec79

If he's worked for the last two tax years, then he'd be able to get contribution based JSA (for up to 6 months), after that they go on household income so no he wouldn't receive any money