Major pickle...

LL30

Evening,

I'm in a pickle, which unfortunately has raised it's head a little late in the day and I think I'm going to have to do something naughty. I am not asking anyone's opinion on the wrongness of it, more about how I can rectify it...

Basically, I start my MA in Sept. It's a funded course, so I no fees and I receive a bursary, and 85% of my daughter's nursery fees. As a lone parent I'll also get HB. Everything has been worked out on the figures given, which was fine until I was informed that my bursary won't become available until 6-8 weeks after I register on the course, which is 25th September. Now, I had concocted a little plan, but it's gone belly up. I had an agreement with the nursery that I would be ok to pay the fees late, but that's now not happening...so, I am considering not closing my tax credits claim until 25th Sept. It won't cover it all, as she's only in 3 days a wk and it's 70% of the cost of those 3 days, but at least it's a start.

If I do go ahead with this, I'll obviously owe tax credits the money, which I can pay back once my bursary money etc comes through (I have no intentions of double claiming and keeping the money, it's purely about being able to pay her fees). How would I inform them of this overpayment? Is it as simple as ringing up and saying 'I made an error, here's your money, sorry'? Or am I going to get a big black mark against my name?

It's also going to impact my HB, I'll have to accept that loss, and pray they are slow on the paperwork so I don't get in trouble with the HA. Such a pickle for the sake of a few months!

Any other ideas or ways round this that I haven't thought of? Apologies if I offend, a dire set of circumstances has led to this predicament. Roll on 2 years when I have completed the course

missapril75

Major Pickle...Colonel Mustard here.:rotfl:

There are so many threads here about repaying tax credit overpayments it sounds a bit run of the mill to me.

No chance of a bank loan in lieu of the bursary?

If you are currently on income related benefits (for 26 weeks) there are budgeting loans available for various items. Similar creativity would be needed.

Valli

Am I missing something?

You say your course STARTS (you enrol) on 25th Sept. and that's the day you'll close your tax credits claim.

But why would you close it any earlier than the day you enrol anyway?

nannytone_2

are you leaving you current job before you enrol on the course?

Mupette

Valli wrote: »

Am I missing something?

You say your course STARTS (you enrol) on 25th Sept. and that's the day you'll close your tax credits claim.

But why would you close it any earlier than the day you enrol anyway?

I guess it is down to any changes will not be made by tax credits until the day, i tried to close a claim for single tax credits, but they would not talk to me about it until after i got married, they just don't make changes on their system until after event

Peanuckle

Last time I tried to notify them of a change they wouldn't accept a notification in advance, told me to ring back AFTER the change, so by that logic you just ring them after the course has started since they won't accept it on the system before hand anyway.

LL30

I'm SE, so I'll continue working whilst I do my course, but on a much smaller scale - less than the 16 hours a week required to qualify for help with childcare. Currently I get WTC, CTC and childcare. So I was going to do a staggered shut down of my claim according to when my change in circumstances occurred, childcare first and then WTC, leaving me with CTC which I can continue to claim whilst I complete my MA.

I was advised by the NHS bursary people to cancel my TC claim for childcare at the beginning of August, so that the four week run on wouldn't go into September, thus making me 'double claim'. This was my intention, but now I've got £750 worth of nursery fees to find for 3 months, plus my usual living costs with little income. I was assuming that TCs would have accepted the childcare costs not being needed any more on the basis that I was gaining funding from elsewhere, so technically, from 1st Sept, that is the change in circumstances? However, I think it would be quite easy to play stupid.

Such a headache - it is only the first instalment which is delayed, everything else is on a schedule for the following terms throughout the 2 years, but those 3 months are going to be a real test.

shedboy94

You won't get any run-on from TC's for your CCC so you need to inform them no more than 1 week before your funding kicks in, and it will stop from the date your funding starts.

LL30

Oh, has it changed then? I had to stop it in Sept last year when I was made redundant and I got the 4 week run on for childcare - it was useful in covering the 4 week notice period for nursery. It also left me with a battle with HB as they wouldn't accept I had childcare expenses to pay as I wasn't employed any more, despite the fact I had to pay the 4 week notice period.

RAS

Have you spoken either to the university welfare or student union welfare about hardship loans?

LL30

Cheers RAS, that's something I need to look into. The last time I spoke to the finance dept, they mentioned applying for the additional 15% of my childcare to be paid for, and the did say something about applying for the 'hardship fund' (sorry, showing my age, I know it's not called that any more). For some reason in my head, I'm seeing that as a few £100s for emergencies (similar to what was available to me when I did my degree) - I hadn't thought about wider possibilities, so I'll give them a call. Cheers