Help. Financial worries. Not passed PhD 1st year and really worried.

BristolBob

yerblurt wrote: »

^^^ what she said.

I'm getting details of the appeal process but won't hold up too much promise, you need to be able to EVIDENCE a complete lack of support/supervision. We had weekly meetings - that's supposed to be enough (and the institute will cover it's back and protect it's own rather than help a student out anyway).

Sorry, but I wouldn't waste my time with an appeal based on lack of supervision if you had weekly meetings. That is far in excess of what most Universities would consider to be the minimum. Mine was a minimum of once a term.
A PhD is a very hard road to take and it is something that you (mainly) have to tackle on your own.

yerblurt

Noctu wrote: »

Sorry to hear you're having difficulties with your PhD. Hope you don't mind me asking a few questions...

Is there absolutely no way you can appeal the first year progression decision? Or even attempt to repeat the first year unfunded so that you could regain your stipend for the second and third year?

I'm looking into the appeals process but I'm not hopeful. Realistically you have to demonstrate a real lack of help from the supervisor.... there isn't that evidence.

Noctu wrote: »

Who are you funded by?

Research council.

Noctu wrote: »

Which university is it?

A large redbrick university in the NW

Noctu wrote: »

Which particular element(s) have you failed on, on the progression review? Anything you can look at in the University Regulations/postgrad handbook for the criteria?

It was the progression review/viva. The uni regulations state all this anyway, that if you don't make sufficient progress you cannot progress to 2nd and 3rd year, you do have the option of submitting an MPhil. So not much help there.

Noctu wrote: »

Obviously I don't know the specific situation but I'm asking all this as I think that if there's a possibility of salvaging your PhD, that might be the best option to pursue.

Your student union may be able to help with this also.

I don't think there's much hope of salvaging. My supervisor is off on mat leave, not been much help the last half of the year and the education standard has been abysmal. I'd rather not put myself through it. Plus the project itself doesn't seem to fit with me. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it, I'd prefer to be working tbh.

yerblurt

mildred1978 wrote: »

If you weren't working (and earning more than £125 per week) while doing your masters then you won't be entitled to JSA now.

Was on a stipend for the MSc, worked 2010-2011, previous to that have worked 10+ years.

... nice to see after all that tax I've paid that a little bit of support when I could really do with it has the rug pulled underneath you

yerblurt

hazelbunny wrote: »

What was your partners income for 20011/2012?If your partner was on 29k last year you won't get any tax credits.

Yeah partner was on the same wage.

What a farce. How on earth are we supposed to pay the mortgage/bills/eat/heat etc.

... shouldn't have bothered trying to better myself or pay all that tax for 10+ years!

mildred1978

yerblurt wrote: »

Was on a stipend for the MSc, worked 2010-2011, previous to that have worked 10+ years.

... nice to see after all that tax I've paid that a little bit of support when I could really do with it has the rug pulled underneath you

Not sure stipends count for NI credit.

Thems the rules. You have to have sufficient contributions for the 2 tax years previous to the year you're claiming. So to claim in 2012 you need conts for 2009/10 and 2010/11.

mildred1978

yerblurt wrote: »

Yeah partner was on the same wage.

What a farce. How on earth are we supposed to pay the mortgage/bills/eat/heat etc.

... shouldn't have bothered trying to better myself or pay all that tax for 10+ years!

You cut back, use any savings you have and get a job - any job - as soon as possible.

yerblurt

mildred1978 wrote: »

You cut back, use any savings you have and get a job - any job - as soon as possible.

Indeed. I'm quite realistic, just in a bit of state of shock and a bit flat.

No savings, but hardly any debt which is good. We don't have extravagances and I'm a good cook so we tend to eat a lot of food made from scratch. We need a car for travel/school/partner's work plus we have a kid and I have a kid with my ex-wife so things will be tough for a bit.

Applied for a job friday, there are 2 other jobs with closing dates next week I'm applying for and I've already registered my details with as many agencies as I could last week....

yerblurt

mildred1978 wrote: »

Not sure stipends count for NI credit.

Thems the rules. You have to have sufficient contributions for the 2 tax years previous to the year you're claiming. So to claim in 2012 you need conts for 2009/10 and 2010/11.

Not sure either, don't think there are NI credits. Funnily enough I did phone up the HMRC to ask them this and they said I could pay voluntary contributions but it probably wasn't worth it haha

I've got full contributions for 2010-2011... oh hang on tax year is april - april isn't it? ... well will have to see how it goes.

rogerblack

yerblurt wrote: »

Not sure either, don't think there are NI credits. Funnily enough I did phone up the HMRC to ask them this and they said I could pay voluntary contributions but it probably wasn't worth it haha

I've got full contributions for 2010-2011... oh hang on tax year is april - april isn't it? ... well will have to see how it goes.

One tax year is no good.
You need contributions in two years.
Voluntary contributions count for your pension, but not for benefits.

yerblurt

rogerblack wrote: »

One tax year is no good.
You need contributions in two years.
Voluntary contributions count for your pension, but not for benefits.

gah what a load of pants!