Benefits whilst studying after redundancy?

kroeger

Hi,

I am about to be made redundant. My wife works 15 hours a week and earns £364 a month. I am 46 years old and want to go back to college and retrain either full-time or part-time. We have two dependent children (11 and 18) 18 year old is in full time education. One son 23 years old on JSA. Would my wife be able to claim Income Support, Child Tax credit/Housing benefit and council tax benefit while I am studying?

Thanks.

princessdon

kroeger wrote: »

Hi,

I am about to be made redundant. My wife works 15 hours a week and earns £364 a month. I am 46 years old and want to go back to college and retrain either full-time or part-time. We have two dependent children (11 and 18) 18 year old is in full time education. One son 23 years old on JSA. Would my wife be able to claim Income Support, Child Tax credit/Housing benefit and council tax benefit while I am studying?

Thanks.

No - shed have to claim jsa and seek work, hb, ctc yes as longvas she complies with jsa etc. you are not entitled to anything if at college.

kroeger

Hi, I thought that income support would be paid as we would be on a low income with dependent children?

miduck

kroeger wrote: »

Hi, I thought that income support would be paid as we would be on a low income with dependent children?

No, that would only be if she received carers allowance or was a single parent with young children.

kroeger

So another option could be me studying part time and claiming JSA? would this then open up ability to claim Housing and Council Tax benefit and child tax credit?

Sorry for all the questions, but I really need to bolster my qualifications to have a chance of a decent job in my area!!!!

sammyjammy

You could come across real problems if you do this. There are big differences between what the college will call part time and the Jobcentre. You would also be expected to be available for full time work and expected to give up your course for a job.

You can claim HB and CTB and child tax credits based on your wife's low income, you would be worse off than on JSA by about £150 a month.

Can your wife increase her hours?

FBaby

What qualifications do you want to study for? Is it to enhance what your current career, or doing something totally new?

It's becoming more frequent that mature posters ask about going back to college to gain further qualifications expecting better job prospects. At the same time, you get posters who come here stating that they have gained better qualifications but still can't find work. I think in the current climate, gaining another qualification is far from an open door to better job prospects, especially if it is to gain a qualifications that many already have and with no relation to previous experience.

You have a wife working very few hours, a son on JSA. Don't you think that for the benefit of your family, you would be better off looking for any work (as your wife to increase your hours) and when you have, look at any course you can do part-time in addition to your job. That will be a much more secure way to look at enhancing your career.

kroeger

no, unfortunately this is not possible at the moment.

FBaby

Then maybe you would be better putting your wish to study on hold until you can?

princessdon

Colleges have funding for those made redundant so you may get your course free, other than that you need to work or your wife needs to increase her hours, no exception. Her wages are slightly lower than joint jsa so you can have a joint jsa claim until college. You will get some hb.

But you can't claim jsa as a student.

Have you considered OU as this can be a way round it?

zzzLazyDaisy

For working tax credits, you and/or your wife between you must be working at least 24 hrs a week. This is set to rise to 30 hrs a week when UC comes in.

Is there any reason why you can't take a part-time job around your course hours to supplement the family income (bar work, shelf stacking, cleaning etc). That is what most students do these days.