Housing benefit question

Miss_student_2

I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice on my question.

I started university last September as a student nurse and get a bursary every month, I stay in a private rent and rent is £425 pm. Before starting uni I got most of my rent pain and only paid £20 towards rent every fortnight but since starting uni my HB has been reduced to £30 per week which means i have to pay £150 towards my rent every fortnight but I feel this cant be right as I don't get much help with childcare I am paying £600 per month on childcare alone not to mention other bills. I mentioned this to council and they said my childcare doesn't come into account. I am confused as there are other people on my course who still get most of their rent paid and are getting the same if not more money than I am. Does anyone know if this is right or not?

Thanks

miduck

What did you do before uni - work, benefits?

What income do you have now?

pmlindyloo

Not an expert on this but you may like to have a look here:

https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/overview

Have you applied for all the financial help that you are entitled to?

I am sure your university will have a welfare officer. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

You don't say whether you are a lone parent/have a working partner. This will make a difference.

Housing Benefit is based on your income and your bursary will have been counted as income.

You need to make sure that you have applied for all the grants/loans that you are eligible for.

pmlindyloo

Are you receiving child tax credit?

See here:

http://www.nus.org.uk/cy/advice/money-and-funding/other-sources-of-funding/introduction-to-students-and-tax-credits/

sandraroffey

as a student, you dont normally get ANY help with your rent, unless you have children.

everything you have coming in from college, grants, loans, help with expenses, absolutely everything, will all count as income. even your child benefit. the only thing they dont count is child mainenance from an absent parent.

just re-read you post. you should get your childcare payments allowed as outgoings, provided they are with a registered minder!!!!! anything else doesnt count. if you have a partner who works, their income is taken into account. you need to talk to the uni welfare office, they can be a huge help. they can also give a hardship allowance if they deem its needed. been through all this with my daughter who was a single mum and at uni. canterbury city council took 7 months to finally sort out her rent and council tax allowance. they really didnt want to give it to her!!!! kept losing paperwork, receipts and god knows what.

Miss_student_2

Sorry i am a single parent and she is with a registered childminder, I am getting all the benefits I am entitled to but council say childcare costs are not taken into account

RAS

Have you claimed your chilcare costs as part of your bursary? http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/Documents/Students/FAQ_11_0113.pdf

If not do it immediately.

daimonde

Child Benefit isnt taken into account as mentioned above.

as for Childcare costs....

Childcare Charges Disregard offers extra financial help to those people who are on a low income, work over 16 hours and incur childcare costs.

W2.163 Deductions for childcare charges are made when a claimant is a
• lone parent and engaged in remunerative work, or
• member of a couple and
- both are engaged in remunerative work, or
- one member is engaged in remunerative work and the other member is
~ incapacitated
~ in hospital
~ prison
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf

there is a section on Childcare in the students part of the guidance too, this talks about a Parents Learning Allowance.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hbgm-c2-student-claims.pdf