Im fulltime student, my gf is going to move in and claim HB, is this amount correct?

Greedy-Cheater

Im currently a fulltime student (aged 24) doing a foundation degree.

My current student loan+grant per year is £7,800 (£150per week).


My girlfriend is going to be moving in with me in 3-4weeks time though.
She will be claiming housing benefit.


I have used the online calculator on the council's website and have used the following figures-

Rent= £520p/m
LHA rate for this area for 1bedroom property= £165p/w
Her income= £0
My 'unearned income'= £150p/w (£7,800 per year of student loan+grant)


And it says that based on me having an income of £600 per month,
she will be entitled to £95.66 per week housing benefit, and £10 per week council tax benefit.


Does this sound correct though please?


Thanks

marliepanda

Sounds acceptable for you to pay £55 a week rent.

Greedy-Cheater

Thanks.


Its just that back when I was single and unemployed with no income whatsoever apart from £200 per month jobseekers allowance,
my housing benefit was only £80 per week (£350per month).

And so it was just quite a surprise to see that even with £600 per month income now,
we would still get £400 per month housing benefit.

marliepanda

Well you'll be on 1 bed rate rather than shared now.

Your income will affect her JSA though and any other benefits.

fluffymovie

It won't actually be £150 pw student finance that is used OP.

We disregard a set amount for books and travel and certain aspects of a grant are also disregarded.

As a full time student, you will be disregarded for Council Tax and so your PT will receive a 25% discount as well.

Greedy-Cheater

fluffymovie wrote: »

It won't actually be £150 pw student finance that is used OP.

We disregard a set amount for books and travel and certain aspects of a grant are also disregarded.

As a full time student, you will be disregarded for Council Tax and so your PT will receive a 25% discount as well.

Aw thanks that's great..

Do you know how much will be disregarded though?

Or in other words, what amount do I state on my claim form as weekly income please?



Thankfully I have been extremely lucky to get offered a job interview tomorrow back for the job I worked at last summer-autumn (a seasonal job),
and providing they offer me the job (which im hopeful they will considering they choose to offer me the interview knowing who I am already),
I should potentially be able to start working every Saturday and Sunday from now until July, when my degree would end and so id go fulltime there.

But even just Saturday and Sunday for now would bank me around £120 per week (£500 per month),
and so would likely mean she wouldn't need to claim housing benefit at all.


One question I have though is even if im working fulltime,
can she be registered as claiming JSA still, even if she didn't actually get any money from it due to my income?

The reason I ask is that she's going to be applying to do a 2year Hair & Beauty NVQ at a local college starting IN October.

The course is only part-time (so she will be entitled to claim housing benefit whilst doing it),
however whilst it will cost £1,200 per year to do it, if she is claiming JSA its she gets her tuition fees exempt.

But so is there any way that she could be registered as a JSA claimaint during summer due to being unemployed,
but just not get any money from her claim due to my income?


Thanks

Caz3121

Greedy-Cheater wrote: »

One question I have though is even if im working fulltime,
can she be registered as claiming JSA still, even if she didn't actually get any money from it due to my income?

.......

But so is there any way that she could be registered as a JSA claimaint during summer due to being unemployed,
but just not get any money from her claim due to my income?

She will not qualify for JSA if you work over 24 hours
https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/eligibility

Hopefully she will not be still unemployed till the summer and she can start saving for the course.
It would be a better outcome if she was working as if she was on JSA, as unemployed for a long period she could find herself on Job Centre schemes etc to qualify for JSA (eg if you were not working) she would need have to confirm she would give up her course for a job which is she would obviously not want to do.

Poppie68

Is there any chance you could get her a job at your place of work?

StormyWeather_2

Could she get a job in a hairdressers/beauty salon? To start off with it might only be sweeping up and making coffee, but it will be something to add to her CV. She might be able to find a position that she can keep throughout the 2 year course.

Greedy-Cheater

Ah ok.


She will apply for jobs at beauty salons between now and summer, plus retail jobs... ect
And I could get her a job where I work moderately easily tbh as they employ 1,500+ typically 18-26 year olds during the season, although socially I always prefer to keep my relationship life and work life totally separate.. lol


When she starts her course she will still be entitled to housing benefit (but not JSA), as she will not be doing any full-time training or work.

Plus for years 2 and 3 of my next degree,
as il be aged over 25 on the 1st day of the start of year 2, I will be able to claim £3,000 extra per year in Adult Dependency Grant from student finance (and so probably she could cease claiming HB then).

fluffymovie

I'm afraid it's a very complicated area and most councils, will ask you to contact a benefit officer for a student calc rather than the online as it really is very different!

thsi is from guidance we give to my assessment team


STUDENT INCOME ASSESSMENT SHEET 2013/2014





LOAN INCOME



Total annual loanavailable (Incl. not taken) £

Deduct standarddisregards for books and

equipment andtravel £693.00



Sub-total £



Divide by appropriatenumber of weeks

GeneralRule. 1stMonday in September to last

Sundayin June (2/9/13 to 29/6/14) = 43 weeks

Final/Oneyear. 1stMonday in September to

Mondayof last Sunday of course

Systemwill deduct appropriate disregard.



Convert to weeklyfigure (Over 43 Weeks) £

GRANT INCOME

Annual Grant £

Deduct ParentsLearning Allow £

Deduct Child CareGrant £

Deduct SpecialSupport Grant £

Deduct standarddisregard for books and

equipment andtravel if no loan payable £



Sub-Total (assumedto be Maintenance Grant) £



Convert to weeklyfigure £

(calcin whole weeks from Monday of week that period of study

startsto Sunday before it ends)

BURSARY INCOME

Annual Bursary £

Deduct ParentsLearning Allow £

Deduct standarddisregard for books and

equipment andtravel if no loan payable £



Sub-Total £



Convert to weeklyfigure £

(calcin whole weeks from Monday of week that period of study

startsto Sunday before it ends; unless period of study is stated for

adifferent period; often 52 weeks)