PLEASE CHECK MY NEW soa

dontwannabeindebt

I will be adding that B.A.A.B,
I wasn't able to find anything extra, but I'm going to include the peice you PM'd to me, in my accompanying letter I have just put that after seeking further advice I would like to resubmit my SOA and that it has been pointed out to me that....about my bursary...and have included and highlighted the passage that you sent me.:D

I haven't had chance to sort this out until now because I've had 3 assignments to get in plus a full time work placement, but got a week off now so this is going to be sorted tomorrow. I've typed it up and will print it and post it tomorrow, so thanks again for your advice,
thanks all
x

dontwannabeindebt

I am looking into reducing my outgoings at the mo, I've already got rid of SKY etc. I have recently changed my gas/electric supplier over so hopefully that cost will come down in the net month or so when it is all sorted, but having said that the OR said they can only allow me a total of £50 for my gas AND electric, which allows £6.25 each per week- I'm hoping to get it down but I think getting it down to that is impossible

Unfortunately my children can't get free school meals, that would help loads if they could. My youngest is now on packed lunch, but for the benefit of the SOA I will continue to include his costs of school dinners. Having said that I think it is working out quite expensive having to buy all the food for her packed lunch, not sure which is cheaper.

so as you can see I am working on reducing my costs, but thank you anyway, I will have a look round to see about getting some of my other costs a bit cheaper.

Another worry I have is that my youngest starts secondary school this year and he will need loads of stuff, so God knows how I'm going to get all that.

dontwannabeindebt

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

Just one more thing dontwannabeindebt i have been led to believe that there is a senior OR in charge of groups of OR,s so make sure you get it refered to the highest level if you still dont get, in my view, the correct result:D

THANKS BAAB, that's interesting to know, I will do just that, hopefully though this letter / revised SOA should do the trick. fingers crossed.

allofadither

dontwannabeindebt wrote: »

Another worry I have is that my youngest starts secondary school this year and he will need loads of stuff, so God knows how I'm going to get all that.

Hi,

My local council will help with the purchase of a new school uniform for a child just starting secondary school (I'm in the same boat as you expecting to shell out around £200 :eek:). Just thought it might be worth asking your council.

Gud luk with the revised SoA.

NekoZombie

dontwannabeindebt wrote: »

RENT 255
HOUSEKEEPING (inc food/cleaning) 350
GAS/ ELECTRIC 100
WATER 31
TELEPHONE 50
TRAVELLING- ME 45
TRAVELLING- child 1 28
**TRAVELLING-child 2 (September) 28
CLOTHING 50
CONTENTS INSURANCE 10
SCHOOL MEALS 86
SCHOOL EXPENSES / ACTIVITIES 30
**HEALTH COSTS 20
TV LICENCE 11
**INTERNET 16
**BOOKS FOR UNIVERSITY 30
**MAGAZINES (nursing magazines) 5
MISC FOR EMERGENCIES 25
HOLIDAY 40
HAIR 25
DRY CLEANING (student nurse uniform) 10
HOUSEHOLD REPAIRS 25




**These health cost are for contact lenses, I require these as I am very short sighted but get migraines from wearing glasses due to glare and also when I am on a work placement as a student nurse glasses can be pulled from your face or use to assault you by confused and nasty patients.


**INTERNET, NURSING MAGASINES AND BOOKS FOR UNIVERSITY ARE REQUIRED BECAUSE I AM ON A FULL-TIME UNIVERSITY COURSE, BUT AM ONLY REQUIRED TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY 3 DAYS PER WEEK, THE REST OF THE WEEK WE ARE REQUIRED TO STUDY FROM HOME AND SO THE BOOKS AND INTERNET SERVICE ARE ESSENTIAL.


** My youngest starts secondary school in September so travel expenses will rise by £28 from then.

I'm a bit concerned that in your original SOA you asked for education stuff which they turned down; your new SOA has a request for magazines at £5 per month?? Is this a good idea - you might tick off the OR. Can you not include that in your education costs?

They will not allow the emergencies, sadly, and I think they will say that if your SOA is to change in September (I.e. travel costs) then you need to apply for that then and not now.

NekoZombie

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

Hmmm Thats a good idea NekoZombie renaming those three to 'education costs' could help, the OR may not even ask what they are and just accept the figure;)

Yes, but bear in mind education costs were rejected in the first SOA. A hard OR, no doubt about it, but thats why I think requesting magazines won't go down well. Especially as they will be available in the university library at no cost at all (arguably, the same with books)

NekoZombie

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

A lot of things where rejected/reduced in the OP,s first SOA the problem is the OR had no right to do what he has done.

Yes dissalow or reduce holidays emergancey etc but not basic living costs nor the costs incurred to earn a living!

Bare in mind if the OP can not study because she is dissalowed 'education costs' she will lose her bursary in much the same as someone else who needs a car to work will lose there job if they are dissallowed petrol

I dont think dontwannabeindebt had a hard OR i think she got one who didnt know what they where doing at all hence my comment to have it reffered if she still gets no joy

BAAB

I don't agree. The OP has a place to study; her bursary is a grant to allow her to do that. Further, universities offer hardship funds - if her course is full time I am very sure she will more than qualify. (I work in HE) The OR has every right to reduce her education costs, which do seem very high though I agree to remove them entirely is odd. If she can demonstrate how much her core text books cost and why she doesn't use those available in the library, then she may have a case to argue. To be honest this wouldn't be difficult to do.

Further, dry cleaning for the nurses uniform. Are nurses uniforms not machine washable, like chef whites? Arguably, this is another expense that can be claimed back, this time from the inland revenue, as it is safety clothing. £5 for magazines. I admit, these are only small things, but they can give the OR an excuse to chop other things down to size, for example housekeeping and electricity. Actually, the OP would have a stronger argument if she said she had to wash her uniform everyday on a boil wash due to hygiene restrictions at work, and as such has high electricity costs.

I have noticed there is no allowance for dentists, prescriptions or optical. If I was the OP I would definitely ask for those, as she has a right to them.

I'm not suggesting being sneaky, just thinking like the OR.

NekoZombie

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

Exactly it should not be reduced by the burdon of an IPA As then she wont have the funds to allow her to continue

As for the Hardship fund i believe she already has this if its what i think you mean but i may be confusing it with something else

Sorry BAAB,

I may have missed that that was your point!
Yes, I absolutely agree that an IPA should not come out of her bursary or benefits. I'm not sure what they're thinking.:eek:

wherediditallgo

I think they'll probably require documentary proof of the educational costs, but will allow them once that's provided. My education-related costs were queried, & I think the only reason I wasn't asked for proof is because the course I'm doing is offered by loads of employers, so the OR may already be aware of it & the conditions for study. Where they aren't familiar with them, it's reasonable for them to ask for back-up paperwork, & I can't see why that wouldn't suffice.

wherediditallgo

I think what they're saying isn't that you can't heat or light your home, but that you can do it cheaper than it's presently being done at - I know we've probably all looked at cutting back where we can, but you can only do so much. If children are involved you can't allow a child to sleep in a cold room even if you'd put up with it yourself & a child who's afraid of the dark isn't going to be helped by you putting the light off regardless. Unfortunately, the OR's figures don't allow for real-time experiences.