Arrgh, major benefit problem

dekaspace

Sorry for long post, scroll down for the question after my rant.

I had to leave college due to bursary problem, since month one, they mark me down as absent for classes I am there for, the same lecturer each time. meaning my grant is paid monthly in arrears since then, instead of advance.

Anyway I finally left beginning of March, after not getting Feburary or Marchs payment

A bit of insight to my story, I decided to complain higher up to head of media,arts, drama etc(my section) who was rude to me and said its my course leaders problem not hers I stated that my course leader is in 1 day a week, and wont help me, and she reluctantly agreed to help me, I met up with her, and she was even ruder and stated its the same lecturer each month, and I have passed not a single module since September, out of about 6 or 7 of them, despite lecturers telling me I had passed, and I had to, to start semester 2

She went on to say the register is a legal document and cant be changed, and also the lecturer who marked me as absent is the most accurate of all lecturers and "never makes mistakes" back to the "failing" of semester 1, she claimed, for the 4 classses I had this lecturer for, I never handed in ANY assignments, despite them all being practical ones done in class and group assignments! my classmates could back me up, but she said I needed a letter from each class member stating the date and time I was in and they were willing to be called up before a group of lecturers to confirm this, also the lecturer had moved to Australia so she said and I quote "unless I could contact the lecturer, and prove you were, which I doubt, I am not willing to change the attendances"

She then goes on and says what a wonderful lecturer this woman is and how she worked a week with no pay as she was supposed to leave.

I tell her I had no income at all, and was 2 months in arrears with rent, and she rudely says "I saw you in Wetherspoons 2 weeks ago, therefore you have cash and should take better care of your financesand not spend it all on alcohol" I reply that I had a single glass of coke(which I did) bought for me by my flatmate, and I could tell she didnt believe me, and by the way, this was on a day she said she couldnt see me as she had a all day meeting, nope she had a all day party for the lecturer who left and she was drunk! the cheek of it.

Finally she says I will take a personal check of your attendances each day to make sure you are turning up as I dont think you are.

Put it this way, I have missed a single week ill around November which I had a doctors note, and thats it, and every single person in my class has missed at least 3 days of term(as its a small class you can tell when someones off) in fact at least half have turned up less than me, one lad who lives 5 minutes walk from college, and has a car, never turns up on Monday or Wednesday mornings hardly ever, yet gets grants, nor does a few others in class, but these are the teachers pets so thats probably why!

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Anyway back to benefits, the college decided to give me Feburarys payment after I signed on, making the jobcentre refuse to give me ANY benefit till beginning of May stating I had money coming in!

I phoned jobcentre who state it doesnt matter when money is for, its when its paid, i.e if Im paid quaterly in arrears and I just get money now, no matter if its all for rent, they classify it as for the NEXT 3 months and wont give cash!

cifpower

I'm afraid the Jobcentre is right. I take it you are after Jobseekers' Allowance? You cannot get that if you are a full-time student. You have to wait until the end of the academic year for that. You cannot get claim Income Support either - you are a full time student and unless you have children or a disability they cannot help you.

dekaspace

Im not a full time student, like I said in my second sentence "I had to leave college"

I left college at end of Feburary and signed on right away, and had to wait for college to sent jobcentre confirmation of when I left, plus my monthly grant etc.

Jobcentre decided that as I got £250 from college on March 12th, even though this was the payment friom 4th Feburary to 4th March, they count it as from MArch 12th to April 12th's payment and as income so that means I cant get a penny JSA as I had £250, even though this ALL went on rent, and I have receipts to prove it to jobcentre.

dmg24

I know it seems completely wrong, but this is the way that Jobcentre work it out. When I had to leave work, I got two weeks additional pay because work had messed out my pay in earlier months, so that meant I couldn't claim anything for an additional two weeks.

babyboo42

yes i am sorry to echo what has been said by the previous posters but the jobcentre focus on when money is PAID and not when it was due to be paid or for what period it is paid.
what is going on with your housing benefit claim?