Single parent student suspended studies benefits

Time_to_face_the_music

Can anyone help me with a complex situation please?

My daughter is a full time 3rd year university student who had to suspend her studies in January this year. She hopes to return to university in December this year and resit December exams then.

As a single parent, she has always been entitled to normal student finance and then to claim JSA during university summer breaks, she always tried to find a summer placement but all were unpaid and with her travel and childcare costs, she could never manage to take one.

Her last student finance was paid in January and has now run out and she assumed she would be able to claim JSA from the date of what would have been her next student finance. After several weeks back and forth, she has been told today that she has no entitlement to any benefit whatsoever and she is expected to find employment or make claims for food from the food bank.

She has been applying for literally every single job we have seen since January but is being told she is either overqualified or does not have a degree. Her only entitlement at present is for child benefit. She has received 3 emergency gas and electric payments and has now been told that this is the limit. She did go to the food bank today but ended up crying and saying that other people needed it more than her and walked away, I think there was a modicum of pride there as she saw someone she knew. We are currently buying their food, toiletries etc.

She is trying to make a CAB appointment and also one with the welfare officer at her university but I don’t know if they will be able to do anything. She is very willing to take ANY job but just does not seem to be able to get anything. Does anyone know if she is actually entitled to anything or if there is anything else she can claim?

Thanks very much for your help

TTFTM x

pmlindyloo

Your daughter needs to speak to her university as there may be various grants/loans that she is entitled to depending on her reasons for suspending her studies.

Read this:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/studentfunding/includes/suspending.html

missapril75

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Your daughter needs to speak to her university as there may be various grants/loans that she is entitled to depending on her reasons for suspending her studies.

I agree. It sounds like it revolves around suspending studies rather than ending.

Unless she withdraws from the course, she is still a student and the available student income (including loans) that would normally be taken into account for all but summer, as described, still has to be taken into account even if not actually taken by the student.

By taking student income now there might be a problem later because she'll have "had it" already but the Uni can advise on that.

Time_to_face_the_music

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Your daughter needs to speak to her university as there may be various grants/loans that she is entitled to depending on her reasons for suspending her studies.

Read this:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/studentfunding/includes/suspending.html

missapril75 wrote: »

I agree. It sounds like it revolves around suspending studies rather than ending.

Unless she withdraws from the course, she is still a student and the available student income (including loans) that would normally be taken into account for all but summer, as described, still has to be taken into account even if not actually taken by the student.

By taking student income now there might be a problem later because she'll have "had it" already but the Uni can advise on that.

This is what we thought and we had agreed that she would not accept the student loan even if it were offered, otherwise she would have no income for when she resumes her studies. As it turns out, the student loan was not offered and she has been told that she is only able to claim benefits if she completely leaves the course.


She has an appointment with a student welfare officer on Thursday so I will update you after that.


Thank you very much for your help.