Huge problem....I may have to leave uni

WYBMADIITY_2

Bit of a long one, will try to explain properly.

Am disabled mature single parent with 3 kids, started uni in Sept 06. Childcare grant payable at 85% upto max of £255 pw as long as childcarer is regstered or approved. Firstly, LEA refused to even give me a claim form cos my childminder (who came to work for me f/t when I started in Sept) was applying for approval status and they said she had to be registered, which I proved to them was wrong.

OK, so childminder applied for approval 17 August, LEA agreed to pay pending her approval and I got the full 85% with first payment of student loan and maintenance grant in sept. All they said was make sure you put her approval no. on the CCG2 (form with details of amount paid upto 31/10) when you send it back, adding that if I didn't have approval through in time to send forms back it may be a problem but otherwise they were quite happy with this (which I have in writing).

So I kicked and screamed and just got her approval through in time, and submitted form. LEA have now told me I won't receive ANY childcare for period 25/9 when I started, to end of first submission period of 31/10, because her approval only came through on 31/10. This is nearly £1,500 that's already been paid to her, and they've now taken that full amount off my next payment due in January, haven't even spread it out over the next 2 payments.

What the hell do I do now? They said payments can't be made for the period she wasn't aproved, but that's not what I was told at the start of this fiasco. I just haven't got the money to cover this, already had max from ALF to cover other 15% childcare, so may have no choice but to leave. And then she's out of a job!!

Please help, just have no idea what to do.

Thanks
Wyb

Justie

I'd go and talk to your student union (welfare officer?) as they'll have more idea of how to deal with it. Do you have copies of letters of all this (I see you have at least some of it in writing) or was all this done on the phone? If so do you have any record of dates (ie look at phone bill and see when the calls were). Keeps a record of any phone conversations you have with them from now on including who you speak to and make a note of the conversation directly afterwards.

Don't panic, if the worst comes to the worst then you can bank your credits and defer a term (but hopefully it won't come to that). If your worries/stress levels are affecting your work then get a GP letter or your studies advisor sooner rather than later as exam boards will take such things into consideration if your grades end up being borderline.


It will probably get sorted out with a little bit of effort so don't get too stressed but do get someone on your side - that's what you pay your union fees for...

hope it gets sorted.

Savvy_Sue

I would also talk to Ofsted about this: they are the ones who register all childcare, and they should be able to advise whether someone can start work pending registration.

I've been clicking around their site without getting a definitive answer to this. I know it USED to be possible, but I am not sure that it is legal to do so these days. So I am not sure how you 'proved' that it was possible - not saying you're wrong, just unsure what information you used. I hope you weren't persuaded to proceed on the basis of incorrect advice.

freelancemermaid

have you applied for disabled students' allowance?

and for access to learning fund?

hope that helps and really hope things work out for you.