Student Finance - Impact on HB/CTR & CTC

Cate1976

I'm hoping to go back to uni next year (September 2015) to convert my Diploma of Higher Education gained in 1998 into a Ba Hons in History. The aim is for me to get into working in archives or something similar. I've had a look into funding for it and the only way for me to be able to afford it financially is to go full time. I've gone through the calculator on student Finance website which came up with the following possible entitlements (figures are for 2014-2015 year):

Tuition Fee Loan £9000
Maintenance Loan £3862
Maintenance Grant £3387

Extra Funding
Childcare Grant £257.55
Parent's Learning Allowance £1523
Adult Dependant's Grant £2668
Child Tax Credit £???

I know that some of this is disregarded for HB/CTR & CTC but I'm not sure which ones apart from the tuition fee grant. I'm hoping that the Childcare Grant is disregarded for all 3.

Doing the course through OU isn't an option due to fincial reasons & I'll benefit from the social interaction during seminars.

Thanks to anyone who can tell me which of these are disregarded as it'll help me to budget for the course.

pmlindyloo

This may help with regard to housing benefit.

http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ssds/welfare/finance/state-benefits-and-council-tax/benefits/how-income-is-calculated-for-benefit-assessments

For your council tax you will be exempt as a student. Therefore you will get a 25% discount on your bill.

As regards council tax reduction I believe that now the individual councils operate their own system in most respects so you will need to enquire of them.

Cate1976

blondebubbles wrote: »

For tax credits the following needs to be declared as income -

the Adult Dependants' Grant paid to you if you are a student
any dependants' grant paid to you if you’re a student in Scotland

Are you single? Living with partner? Have any other income eg employment?

Thanks for this, I'm living with my husband, have 3 children, husband works 15 hours week current wage £7.65 hour. I get DLA middle care for one of my twin girls (renewal due December this year but hopeful it'll be accepted). I also get Carer's Allowance but I know this will end if I go to uni. I was expecting more of the living cost grants & loans to be counted as income for CTC.

pmlindyloo: Thanks for the link, have had a look at it. There's a few things disregarded which I thought would be counted such as the Parent's Learning Allowance. I'm surprised the Maintenance loan is counted, I thought it'd be the grant that would be counted, pleased that there's a partial disregard for books/travel on the loan. You've confirmed what I thought re Council Tax, I'll be exempt and my husband will get single person reduction. Next thing is to work out the figures to see how affordable going to uni will actually be. I'm hoping that my parents will help with some of the childcare for our youngest.

Indie_Kid

Your maintenance loan and grant are ignored for tax credits. There are disregards; but they are counted for other benefits, such as housing benefit.