Student Finance England Childcare Award

kenrich

We have applied for the Childcare Grant but only been awarded about 1/3rd of the amount we need to pay out.

Currently our childcare total is £12,162 for the year.
We have been awarded £4233.00

My GF is the only person with an income and we have 2 kids one aged 7 months and one aged 5 years.

We had a letter yesterday from them yesterday as we had appealed their decision, the letter said they were correct and listed the things they had taken into account. I will list these below.

My GF comes out with £16,395 net
Mortgage: £3045
Council Tax: £742
Life Insurance: 120.00
Building & Contents: £163.50
Car Insurance: £163.00

We also gave them a list of our bills i.e. Gas, Electric, Water, phone ect. But they don't seem to take any of this into account and will not even tell us what they will and won't take into account. The baby costs a lot in milk and nappies and clothes with growing so quickly so we are already struggling. My GF also has a payment an agreed payment plan with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service which is £229 per month but they don't seem to have taken any of this into account. She also pays £140.00 per month pension.

Are theses figures correct? If we can't get any more childcare then I will have to drop out of Uni as we simply could not afford to pay the rest of the Childcare.

Thanks
Ken

silvercar

You will also have the student loan and student grant and child benefit. You will also get a 25% reduction in the council tax.

kenrich

The Council Tax already included the 25% discount and the £16,395 included child benefit.
My Student loans still wouldn't make up the shortfall, our household monthly outgoings combined are approx £1000 per month.

Taiko

The assessment is correct though, and utilities and bits are not taken into account. Only rent/mortgage payments, council tax, life and contents insurance are taken in.

kenrich

Problem has been, whenever we ring them up an adviser will say, yeah it looks wrong so resubmit more info which we have been doing and then when you ask them a simple question like, how did you work it out they won't tell you and just say it's right. We have had so much misleading information off them.

Thanks for the comments anyway, will have to go see Uni tomorrow to pull out of course.

Cheers Ken

cleggie

If there is 2 of you (you and your GF) why woul dyou have to drop out?
I dont understand- who will be going to uni, you or your GF? Or both?

If its just one of you, cant you juggle the childcare between you?

kenrich

GF Works full time and 2 nights per week she has to work until 9.30pm she also works on a sat morning to, so I have the kids and they don't let you do any work, their rather demanding ;0). Im at Uni 4 days of the week so only have a Friday where I can actually get some work done in peace.

cleggie

What about studying in the evenings when the kids are in bed?
I was unable to get any childcare for my kids, and am a single mum (so no partner), no family help at all. So i study mostly in the evenings when the kids are asleep- is there anyway you can do the same?
Granted, i do have to miss a few lectures everyweek, but as long as i do the reading, look at the lecture notes, and email the lecturer if i have any problems, it all works out OK.

kenrich

Might try see if the Uni can let me goto different classes as at the minute most start at 9.00am and it takes about an hour on bus to get their, been trying to stay up late studying until about 1.30am, but the baby is a bad sleeper at the minute so I'm generally having to get up with her at 3.30am as wants to play! Wouldn't be as bad is we could get her to sleep but she is awake still 9.30 - 10.15pm and I'm running on empty. I let my GF sleep as she is the one who has to goto work so seems unfair if she had to get up. Just feel like our plans have been hit for six so can't think straight.

To be honest I think id be fine missing a few lectures as most of my lecturers basically just read their power points which the actually provide on the internet so hardly even take notes.

Oh the joys haha

cleggie

Yeah, i totally know what you mean when you say you are running on empty- same here!
It's lovely that you are letting your GF lie in!
Yeah, my uni is the same- most just read the power points, so i stay home and do as much as i can from home. The 1 thing i would say is- make sure (if doing a lot from home), that you buy the books. Dont worry about them being brand new, i would NEVER buy mine new, they cost a bomb! But you WILL need the books.

Most lecturers are lovely if you explain the situation and reassure them that you will be doing the work at home.