students and benefits

Caz3121

this may be useful http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_070816

enabledebra

confusedfan wrote: »

Hello,

I have just started a university course and me and my partner are currently going through the process of sorting out benefits. I am really worried we wont be able to afford to get by and I may have to quit my course to get a job. Just thought i'd check it out here and see before I quit.

We are a couple
Have a child who is 3
pay £600 rent as a private tennant
My partner is unemployed aged 25
I am full time student aged 22
I will receive maintenance grant f around £3000
I will also receive a maintenance loan of around £3000

What benefits will we be entitled to and how much would it come out at? I am trying to build a personal training business but not yet earning profit and my partner is looking for work with hours to fit around my course....

If anyone could help would be great but got a feeling all our benefits will now stop/

Student funding affects benefits but usually you will be better off than when on benefits alone. As you have an unemployed partner you might be able to claim Adult Dependent Grant from Student Finance England if he has a low or nil income of his own. You should also be entitled to Parent Learning Allowance and possibly Child Care Grant: http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/39148/student_with_children_or_adult_dependents_factsheet.pdf

When your income from Student Finance England is calculated for benefits purposes they ignore some of it and they only take it into account in term time (this actually just means they don't count any student income in July and August)

Tax credits ignore most student income (and generally the level they take into account won't affect entitlement if household earnings are very low anyway.)

Housing Benefit is affected more by student income than tax credits are (less of it is ignored by HB) so HB is often reduced quite a bit in term time (depending on the other household income) but goes back up in July and August.

Students can also get 'Access to Learning funds' from their university - these funds look at your income from benefits/tax credits and Student Funding and decide if you have enough to meet all of your outgoings- if not they will make an award to 'top up' your income (usually this award is identified by the Uni and DWP as helping with course related costs so doesn't affect benefits itself)

confusedfan

When you say HB is reduced quite a bit, as a rough guide how much is it reduced by? are we talking over half of it? I'm the male partner by the way by partner is my child's mother

I'm a he!:j

Sharon87

Have you tried looking back to see what you can but back on bills wise as well?

I would suggest all of the above about finding the right benefits for you, but I would also push for you or your partner, or both finding a job, whether part time. I worked 15 hours through uni and it helped a lot. Didn't interfere with my studies either, I just took my holidays at the busiest times.

Also don't forget to get a student card for all those handy discounts. Every little does helps.

Sharon87

confusedfan wrote: »

When you say HB is reduced quite a bit, as a rough guide how much is it reduced by? are we talking over half of it? I'm the male partner by the way by partner is my child's mother

I'm a he!:j

It's all income dependent. If you're on JSA and no income you get the full benefit, as soon as earnings start you lose more, the more you earn, if that makes sense. So the student loan income plus the JSA you can claim is added up and housing benefit is taken into consideration for it. You can use the benefits calculator to work out this benefit.

Also don't forget council tax, even if you do get benefit, make sure your partner gets her council tax exemption certificate when she starts, so you can get 25% discount on it, if you do have to pay any of it.

enabledebra

If you don't get adult dependent grant the figure to stick in the calculators as 'other income' or whatever to represent your weekly income from student funding for HB is £113.42. (The calculation is in your case: loan plus maintenance grant = £6000 minus £693 (to be used for books and travel) divided by 43 (the number of weeks in the 12/13 academic year- although i might have this wrong and it's 42 weeks this year but doesn't make much odds) minus £10 (ignored by HB each week)

(NB- you should check your student funding award- I would expect a student in your circumstances to get £7125 between the maintenance grant and loan so if student finance england have made your award taking into account your parents income they shouldn't do this as although you are under 25 you are a parent and should be classed as an independent student)

confusedfan

I have put up to £9k in the other income on the benefits calculator and nothing changes on the estimated benefits.

enabledebra

Not sure why that would be? From the details I have and assuming your student funding will be £6000 as above you should get:

£0 JSA (based on assumption you currently get only Income Based JSA as a couple)
£20.30 Child benefit
£62.09 Child tax credit
£140.00 Housing benefit (based on an assumption HB currently pay all your £600pcm rent)
£19.00 approx Council Tax benefit (on a guess of a council tax bill of £1000pa after a 25% discount for a single occupier - you are invisible as an occupier if you are a full time student)

In July and August you can go back on JSA (partner as the claimant) and get full HB/CTB

Only an approximate guess though. Your uni's student union will usually have an advice centre which can calculate this properly for you- check their website.

BigAunty

confusedfan wrote: »

..
I'm a he!:j

Blame me, looks like I was the first one referring to you as 'she', no idea why.

BigAunty

Does your Uni have a creche for the children of students? Can other posters give an idea of their likely child care award if the mother returns to work?