mature student on disability and housing benefit

matstu

Hi, Can anyone help me. I am intending to go to uni in sept this year. I live on my own in a rented house and i receive disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, industrial injuries benefit and housing and council tax benefit. Out of all of these which ones would i be able to keep. I'm worried that the maintenance loans and grants wont allow me to live! This is my first step into higher education since 1980, so well out of touch! Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

MusicalLawyer

If you're going to study full time, you won't receive Council Tax benefit - as if you live alone you won't pay Council Tax, nor would you receive Housing Benefit (depends how much student loans you would get)

You will keep your DLA, but I am not sure about incapacity benefit, or industrial injuries benefit.

This could be of use - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10034876

lyra

Incapacity benefit, definitely will be able to keep.

ubamother

Make sure you find out about the disabled student's allowance - a non-means-tested grant (not loan). You are assessed on your needs and you will receive whatever you need that would otherwise stop you going to university - all depends on your individual disability needs - so for the very disabled funding for a non-medical carer would be provided, but for others it may be technical needs such as funding for braille books, or speech-typing software for laptops etc. etc. When you apply online for your student loan, the disability information comes up - they advise you do it as early as possible as it the assessment can take 14 weeks to arrange. Hope this helps.

want-it-all

matstu wrote: »

Hi, Can anyone help me. I am intending to go to uni in sept this year. I live on my own in a rented house and i receive disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, industrial injuries benefit and housing and council tax benefit. Out of all of these which ones would i be able to keep. I'm worried that the maintenance loans and grants wont allow me to live! This is my first step into higher education since 1980, so well out of touch! Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

Hi there,

Are you going to study full-time or part-time? There's different rules for each.

Assuming full-time, you can't normally claim income-related benefits, unless you're a lone parent, or part of a couple who is also a student and you are both responsible for a child, or you are disabled.

However, the rules on disability are as follows:

"[you] have a disability, and qualify for the disability premium, severe disability premium or income-related Employment and Support Allowance"

Since you're still on Incap, I don't know how it works - speak to your local Jobcentre.

If you're full time, your HB may be affected (again, there appear to be rules on disability, so check with your local authority).

You wouldn't need Council Tax Benefit as full-time students are exempt from Council Tax, anyway - your university will grant you an annual certificate to produce to your local council (yet again, different rules for part-time students).

Part-time is a completely different ball game.

In all cases, your DLA will be safe. However, if there's a chance that your studying activities don't fit well with the claims on your most recent DLA form, you'd be wise to request a review (this is not an accusation, I've just seen a lot of poor souls yanked off DLA, even accused of fraud, due to returning to study. However, it's totally fine to study whilst on DLA, it just depends what care and/or mobility needs you've claimed for, and how any changes in lifestyle affect - for better or worse - these needs).

Make sure you look at Disabled Students Allowance, as already suggested. It can be very generous, is tailored to your needs, and can consist of cash bursaries, specialist equipment, and non-medical help (i.e. someone to fetch your books from the library, someone to accompany you to lectures, etc.).

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/EducationAndTraining/HigherEducation/DG_10034898

Any losses in benefits would be offset by Student Finance packages. Again, reasonably generous, have a look at what you may qualify for:

http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=153,4680136&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

And...all the best of luck!!! :T

matstu

Hi,
Thanks for your replies. I am aiming to go full time and the course is approx 8-10 taught hours per week and then self study which i can do at night as i dont sleep well. I have applied for the disabled allowance. Thanks again

~Chameleon~

Make sure you also apply for Special Student Grant in place of the Maintenance Grant as this is then not included for benefit calculation purposes. It's worth an extra £3250

I'm also trying to find out how the benefit deductions are made and will benefits be reduced for the full 52weeks or 43 weeks whilst actually at uni?

Anubis_2

I've just seen a lot of poor souls yanked off DLA, even accused of fraud, due to returning to study.

If you know of a lot who have been yanked off DLA for studying I would be interested to hear more, or perhaps the reasons? People can work with DLA, so I am unsure why people would be taken off it due to study unless they put they cannot read or type at all.

I am bed bound, get a lot of brain fog, pain, weakness, incontinence etc but none of it would stop me studying as such providing I could do it at my leisure in that I could study for half hour then leave it until the day after etc (OU)