Household Income

LateStarter

Hello All,

To keep it brief: the girlfriend has just moved in with me. Her daughter is 20 and in University (1st year), and part of her student funding is the form of grants as gf is low income.

Daughter has concerns she'll lose her grants as my salary will be added to her mum's and 'household income' will go over the threshhold. Is this true? I mean, daughter is a lovely girl and all that, but there's no way she's my responsibility - I've only known her about a year, and she's an adult.

Thanks for any guiadnce.

warwicktiger

Seems reasonably straightforward to me, you and mum are now in the same household !

I too am of an age where a new partner is likely to have children, possibly under 18, so have to think of the consequences of relationships!

LateStarter

warwicktiger wrote: »

Seems reasonably straightforward to me, you and mum are now in the same household !

I too am of an age where a new partner is likely to have children, possibly under 18, so have to think of the consequences of relationships!

Thanks - from that point of view I suppose you're right (never had children so not used to this). I'm still getting my head around the household concept - so even if an adult daughter is living in rented accomodation etc, her "household" is wherever her mother is?

I suppose it's done this way to stop rich kids getting extra money off the state - but it sort of sucks that our living arrangements affect her so much.

warwicktiger

Yes, in that daughter is still dependant on, not independent from mum, and you are now associated with mum making you all part of the same household.

Mouschka

I may be wrong about this (working out student finance is not at all easy!) but I thought that for this academic year 14/15 household income is assessed on the 2012/13 tax year income figures. So unless your partner's daughter has applied on the basis of a current year income assessment your earnings shouldn't be included.
The best way to find out might be for the student herself to ask a question - perhaps via one of the social media sites.
Failing that your partner could call Student Finance and ask them as they will certainly know and at least then you will have a definitive answer rather than opinions.

PasturesNew

Looking at it another way, are we talking about the £3300 grant? If so, that can be considered to be £275/mth - and when your gf moved in with you I bet there's been more than a saving of that much per month as she no longer has to pay rent. And a council tax saving to the pair of you - and standing charges savings. So, living as a couple, you're saving shedloads of money that you used to shell out as two separate households. When you look at the bigger picture you're still all better off financially - and, more to the point, you've got somebody to love. Cheap at half the price!

LateStarter

Mouschka wrote: »

I may be wrong about this (working out student finance is not at all easy!) but I thought that for this academic year 14/15 household income is assessed on the 2012/13 tax year income figures. So unless your partner's daughter has applied on the basis of a current year income assessment your earnings shouldn't be included.

You're right it was assessed on last year's income. We've been operating under the impression that it's reviewed every year - time for a call to student finance, I think.