Adult Dependants Grant - refused but on what grounds?

flea72

Yockie wrote: »

: the ESA money needs to cover all food, petrol, household bills (phone, internet, gas, electricity, water), etc. So, yes, I significantly help out in that department! Hence, why the ADG would have been an enormous help!!!

You will be getting full maintenance though, which is used to cover your living expenses, so thats £7k you could give to your mum, which im sure is more than the CB and CTC she has lost

You say your mum doesnt have enough to live on without your support but she obviously has more than £4k a year coming in, otherwise you would get ADG

Yockie

You say your mum doesnt have enough to live on without your support but she obviously has more than £4k a year coming in, otherwise you would get ADG

flea72, that is the point I am making. SFE thinks she has more than £4000.00 BECAUSE they count the DLA, the Housing Benefit, the Council Tax, the CB and the CTC as part of that £4000.00. If they disregarded those it would be less than £4000.00.
And as far as I gathered, the idea of the ADG is that it is extra help on top of the (may I point out) less than £7000.00 I get in maintenance. Those exactly £6484 are for my needs as a student, not for the adult that depends on me. In effect, I am now disadvantaged compared to my peers, because they can spend all their maintenance on their needs, and I obviously cannot.
P.S. I am happy to help my mother out with or without the ADG, but I am just saying it does make a difference on how we'll live for the duration of this course I am on...

flea72

Yockie wrote: »

flea72, that is the point I am making. SFE thinks she has more than £4000.00 BECAUSE they count the DLA, the Housing Benefit, the Council Tax, the CB and the CTC as part of that £4000.00. If they disregarded those it would be less than £4000.00.
And as far as I gathered, the idea of the ADG is that it is extra help on top of the (may I point out) less than £7000.00 I get in maintenance. Those exactly £6484 are for my needs as a student, not for the adult that depends on me. In effect, I am now disadvantaged compared to my peers, because they can spend all their maintenance on their needs, and I obviously cannot.
P.S. I am happy to help my mother out with or without the ADG, but I am just saying it does make a difference on how we'll live for the duration of this course I am on...

You are no different to your peers, all their money goes on rent and food too. However if you arent getting full loan/grant then your mum has more income than you are letting on about, because any household with an income under £25k gets £3354 grant and £4375 loan, so £7.5k

Your mums ESA is equal to the cutoff for ADG, let alone factoring in her DLA, HB and council tax benefit. Perhaps you should visit the debt feee wannabe or oldstyle forums if she is struggling to survive on £4k/yr

Yockie

However if you arent getting full loan/grant then your mum has more income than you are letting on about, because any household with an income under £25k gets £3354 grant and £4375 loan, so £7.5k

Sorry to disappoint flea72, but since I will be living at home, those are the figures I have in total for maintenance £6484.00. My grant is indeed £3354.00, but the loan is £2843 (not based on household income) add £1964 (based on household income) minus loan replaced with grant £1677 Equals loan available to you £3130.00. Add loan and grant together (£3130.00+ £3354.00) and you get £6484.00 whatever calculator you use!
And I am different to my peers: all their money goes on rent and food too - but that is food for one, not two. and bills for one not two. And petrol for one not two. And yo get the picture
Plus, be honest, and point out one student who would say no to another £2500+ to help them survive. Even better yet, point out to any person who would say no to £2500.00+ to help them out with a year's living...!

flea72

Yockie wrote: »

Sorry to disappoint flea72, but since I will be living at home, those are the figures I have in total for maintenance £6484.00. My grant is indeed £3354.00, but the loan is £2843 (not based on household income) add £1964 (based on household income) minus loan replaced with grant £1677 Equals loan available to you £3130.00. Add loan and grant together (£3130.00+ £3354.00) and you get £6484.00 whatever calculator you use!
And I am different to my peers: all their money goes on rent and food too - but that is food for one, not two. and bills for one not two. And petrol for one not two. And yo get the picture
Plus, be honest, and point out one student who would say no to another £2500+ to help them survive. Even better yet, point out to any person who would say no to £2500.00+ to help them out with a year's living...!

Sorry, yes i used figures for those living away from home. But still, why cant your mum feed herself on £4k a year? Why are you running a DLA car if you cant afford petrol. Household bills actually work out cheaper per head for 2 than 1. How much rent does your mum charge, based on the fact your peers pay circa £400/m?

What would your mum do if you moved out? DWP say she has enough to live on, so why do you think she doesnt?

zzzLazyDaisy

Your mum does not count as an adult dependant. She is NOT financially dependent on you as she is claiming ESA (and associated means tested benefits) in her own right, as an independent adult.

Yockie

Why she can or why she cant live on around £4000.00 are things totally unrelated to my original post. I wanted to know WHY SFE considers non-taxable benefits as income. There is no real explanation as to why they do, as far as I can gather. They simply do, because they do ("it is because I said so is" a favourite tag line of some of my past teachers ).

At least thanks for pointing me to the legislation that states the threshold, because SFE could not do that either. The conclusion I get from all your posts is I will not get that AGD for this year. Thank you all for taking the time time reply, even though the answers weren't what I was hoping for

jacques_chirac

Yockie wrote: »

Why she can or why she cant live on around £4000.00 are things totally unrelated to my original post. I wanted to know WHY SFE considers non-taxable benefits as income. There is no real explanation as to why they do, as far as I can gather. They simply do, because they do ("it is because I said so is" a favourite tag line of some of my past teachers ).

At least thanks for pointing me to the legislation that states the threshold, because SFE could not do that either. The conclusion I get from all your posts is I will not get that AGD for this year. Thank you all for taking the time time reply, even though the answers weren't what I was hoping for

Simply because non taxable does not mean non declarable. If I put money in a non taxable ISA that does not mean I do not have to declare that money as capital where asked, I most certainly do.

nimbo

Yockie wrote: »

Why she can or why she cant live on around £4000.00 are things totally unrelated to my original post. I wanted to know WHY SFE considers non-taxable benefits as income. There is no real explanation as to why they do, as far as I can gather. They simply do, because they do ("it is because I said so is" a favourite tag line of some of my past teachers ).

if she were to receive the cash instead of the direct payments - the money should still be used to pay for the DLA car, and the council tax, or the rent...

just because she doesn't get to 'see' the cash doesn't mean it's not an income.

nimbo

Yockie wrote: »

Those exactly £6484 are for my needs as a student, not for the adult that depends on me. In effect, I am now disadvantaged compared to my peers, because they can spend all their maintenance on their needs, and I obviously cannot.
P.S. I am happy to help my mother out with or without the ADG, but I am just saying it does make a difference on how we'll live for the duration of this course I am on...

over the nine months that you will be in classes this equates to over £720 a month to top us the rent, and ct as well as eat and travel. it may not be the kings ransome we would all like, but it is much more than some get.

You should consider part time work while studying. It can be hard - and people on my course range from not working to working full time. even when on 40 hour a week placements.