Claim stopped/refused because of my student loan?

sazdz17

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Elle7

Did you get any advice before applying for benefits?

Full time students who receive student loans are rarely entitled to anything - you can only claim housing benefit as a student if you are disabled and receive DLA, or have children.

What has happened to your partners ESA? You refer to it in the past tense. If he is getting this, then combined with your student loan you have more then enough to live on. If you don't, it's a case of appealing to your university for the access to learning fund, and getting a part time job around studies.

You'll be exempt from council tax as a student so your partner might get help with council tax benefit, I'm not sure how they work that out. If he is on contributions based ESA, he'll continue to receive it - if it's income-based, he'll need to declare your student loan and send proof, and it'll be adjusted to take this into account.

This is as I understand it, someone will be along soon to point out any mistakes I've made!

RAS

You need to get yourself down to your student welfare office pronto - like today.

I suspect you have fallen between two stools, as a couple not working you would get £103 per week (£6760) pls rent and CT.

As a student with an adult dependent, you might be able to get more money than you have at the moment plus reduced or no CT to pay.

But you cannot be half and half.

puddy

you may not be entitled to income support (job centre claim) but you may be entitled to housing benefit as you are a couple and he is the claimant. they will count your joint income as income for both of you for income support purposes and so you have just over the amount of income support per week to live on, so you wouldnt be entitled. however he should also make a claim for housing and council tax benefit, sounds like you could get your whole rent paid

im rusty on the ins and outs of students claiming when they are a couple though

CandyApocalypse

I am in no way an expert on this, so don't take my answer as gospel.

My partner is signed off due to mental health problems, so this may only count in similar circumstances.

My student loan and grant comes to £7667 a year, income support is currently being reassessed, but we will get housing benefit and council tax benefit (he is the claimant, not me)

I was told that they do class your student loan as income, but they do deduct a certain amount for travel and books.

I would phone them again and ask if you could be reassessed for housing benefit and council tax benefit and see what they say.

As I said, I'm not an expert in any way, but that is our current situation.

Also, is it possible for you to get a part time job for a bit of extra cash around your Uni studies?

Edited to add that as someone below mentioned, I mean contact the LA, not the job centre.

puddy

op is talking about the job centre. they dont do claims for housing and council tax benefit there, that is the local authority

CandyApocalypse

I just realised that reading the OP, and tried to edit, and the bloody site crashed on me! Sorry about that

CandyApocalypse

My advice that may actually help is that if you get stuck, contact your University, as someone above has said. Some of them offer a hardship fund, which I was recently informed about. You have to apply for it, and it is not guaranteed in any way, but it can be worth approaching them if you need the help.

MrsManda

How old are you? Are you an independent student (is your student loan package based on your parents income or your own and your partner's)?

Do you have a joint tenancy agreement or do you both pay for things separately?

In terms of student finance, if you are counted as a couple then jobcentre/council are right to say that your maintanence loan, maintanence grant and bursaries count as income towards calculating benefits.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_070816

If your partner is claiming contribution based ESA this won't be affected but will be if he's claiming ESA income based.

The student support services at your university may be able to help you. It's always worth speaking to them. The university will have an Access to Learning fund which you can apply to when you need financial help.

Is your partner claiming Disability Living Allowance?

JimmyTheWig

I agree with those who have said contact the university. Also try the student union (e.g. do they have a Welfare Officer?).
I'm guessing you won't get Tax Credits as neither of you are working.
And I believe they are right that anything income based will include your loan.
I agree with the others who have suggested you try and claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

sazdz17

CandyApocalypse wrote: »

I am in no way an expert on this, so don't take my answer as gospel.

My partner is signed off due to mental health problems, so this may only count in similar circumstances.

My student loan and grant comes to £7667 a year, income support is currently being reassessed, but we will get housing benefit and council tax benefit (he is the claimant, not me)

I was told that they do class your student loan as income, but they do deduct a certain amount for travel and books.

I would phone them again and ask if you could be reassessed for housing benefit and council tax benefit and see what they say.

As I said, I'm not an expert in any way, but that is our current situation.

Also, is it possible for you to get a part time job for a bit of extra cash around your Uni studies?

Edited to add that as someone below mentioned, I mean contact the LA, not the job centre.

it's reassuring knowing that someone else is in pretty much an identical financial situation regarding student finances and their partners situation too, so thank you for your help.
we'd be happy with help with housing and council tax only, income could be sorted, it's just we want the knowledge in knowing that we can pay our rent! xxxxx :T