Naive daughter claiming JSA - help naive dad answer her questions

asnac

Here are the facts: she has suspended her college course rather than failing it as would otherwise have been the case. She will not get any more student loan (though of course she got a term's worth back in September). I won't give her any more parental contributions as she's not a student and I have other kids to see through uni. She's renting a house, sharing with friends who are still at college. She expects to rejoin the course in September. She wants to stay in her uni town, i.e. she won't be coming home. She has not been to the jobcentre yet to make a claim.

Now some questions:
1: anyone anticipate any difficulty with jobcentre as she's 'suspending' the course rather than failing it? She is of course now looking for work.
2: What happens about a ski holiday with the uni that she saved up for over a long time and has now paid for in full? If she is supposed to sign on during that ski week, is she easily able to get the jobcentre to understand the circumstances?
3: She is worried about coming home for Christmas because she might need to sign on. I said that I was pretty sure that around Christmas there would be a relaxation of signing on times - is that right?

Lokolo

Just worth a mention, if shes not being a student she is liable for Council Tax in her property.

midnight_express

she is not entitled to jsa as she is classed as still being a student

PippaGirl_2

While suspended you are still deemed to be a student, I suspended studies and claimed student finance through that year to live on.

asnac

PippaGirl wrote: »

While suspended you are still deemed to be a student, I suspended studies and claimed student finance through that year to live on.

Well she says that she cannot get student finance. If she had 'failed' the year she could still get that but she has voluntarily quit for the moment while she gets her act together so she has no income.

PippaGirl_2

I didn't fail anything, just suspended studies. Maybe they've changed things, I was only one term from completing the degree and suspended a year so maybe there is one rule for 3rd years and another for others? Either way she needs to go to students first or their finance advice centre at uni where they will know all the answers. You could phone that department but Uni is a step towards independence and adulthood so would be good if she did this herself. Young people only learn how to be independent if they are allowed to, often they will remain dependent if they are enabled to be that way when others 'look after' them.

asnac

PippaGirl wrote: »

Young people only learn how to be independent if they are allowed to, often they will remain dependent if they are enabled to be that way when others 'look after' them.

She did go to CAB who thought she could claim hence she went ahead and 'suspended'. I'm worried about what she might say in the jobcentre, a wrong word or emphasis might mean she gets no money for rent or food. A worrying time.

PippaGirl_2

As I have said, her Uni finance advisory service will have all the answers as to what she is entitled to. If she goes and asks them she will then know.

Confuseddot

If you leave the country you need to close the claim and then restart it when you return.

I think the same applies if she returns home for Christmas.

PippaGirl_2

Ok, just checked. Yes you are allowed student finance for one year when suspending studies, so it hasn't changed since I did this in 2010. She won't be eligible for benefits while suspended as officially you remain a full time student.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

PippaGirl wrote: »

Ok, just checked. Yes you are allowed student finance for one year when suspending studies, so it hasn't changed since I did this in 2010. She won't be eligible for benefits while suspended as officially you remain a full time student.

^^this^^. i see a return home TBH.

whilst those are studying, and partying, and at uni, your child is at the student house, twiddling thumbs, maybe get a job that requires night work and she'll be disturbed all the time.

wife cousin is at uni, doing very well, he was going to fail his first year so suspended, 3 months later he travelled 200 miles home, because he couldnt take it anymore that he had nothing to live on after paying the utilities and his food and rent.

he went back knuckled down, and now has realised that theres a good job there for him when he finishes uni.