Urgent Advice Needed!!

mama2319

Am married with two kids aged 5 and 2. I am disabled and husband left his job in July 2007 to undertake course to become Primary Teacher which is postgraduate PGDE and lasts for 1 year.

My main question is regarding Mortgage Interest Payments. I receive Incapacity Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Disability Living Allowance. My husband had to apply for a student laon which takes us £30 a week over Income Support levels. We applied for IS in August and were awarded it until end of August just before the student loan kicked in.

Anyway when enquiring about Mortgage payments were told that we would have to wait until the 39 week qualifying period was exhausted until April 2007 even although I have been on IB for over 2 years (but hopefully not forever!!).

If we re-applied given that my husband is fully into his course would the 39 week qualifying period start now as in we would have fulfilled the 39 weeks now as he is a student and not somebody who has just left his job or is DWP right?

Please somebody help as we were told when my husband was accepted for the course in May this year that we would qualify and now we don't. Confused??? Just a bit. Now we are really struggling financially but we do realise that it will be worth it and hopefully all going well we will not be on benefits for too long. (As long as my health improves somehow).

Unfortunately this whole thing is just making my health worse and any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Mama2319

Bogof_Babe

Sorry, I don't understand re. the 39 weeks. If he left his job in July, even if the 39 weeks started on 1st July you are only up to 12 weeks as at today.

Can you clarify what you mean, as this might be why no-one else has replied.

dmg24

Your husbands time as a student would not count as you are over the IS level during that time.

(Is that what you meant? I'm really not sure?!!)

mama2319

Firstly thanks for the responses.

Please excuse my explanation of things but my medical conditions prevent me from being able to do things properly including writing things down.

What I am attempting to say is that according to IS I amthe claimant as husband can't claim because he is a student, although they take his student loan into account minus disregards etc.

To qualify for MI Payments claimant falls into 2 categories - those who qualify more or less straight away as they have been on a qualifying benefit for 39 weeks previously (in this case IB) or they don't because they have too high an income or they have too much capital,and they then have to wait out the 39 week period.

When we applied we had no income as my husband had left his job but DWP say that we don't fulfill the 'automatic' 39 week fulfilment as we had too much income,from his previous salary. However we would get the mortgage payments in 39 weeks time. However we would have to apply within the 39 weeks to obtain the MI payments.

If we then apply again as instructed, would our claim not be defined differently as my husband is a full time student and has not had any salary therefore in our new claim would the MI payments be applied straight away as the reason for our exclusion before doesn't exist anymore as our income does not include any previous salary??

I don't know if this makes much sense but I suppose what I am trying to clarify is when does the 39 week waitingperiod commence and exactly in what circumstances?

Any help would be appreciated and please be gentle!!

Bogof_Babe

Well I think I understand what you are getting at now, but I'm sorry I don't know the answer. Wouldn't your best bet be to reapply anyway, and see what they say? It can't make matters any worse can it, and at least you will know where you stand now that your circs have moved on.

Best of luck!

mama2319

Thanks for your help anyway and you are right I'll just re-apply and give it a go. Will put a result on the forum once the outcome is known in case somebody else finds themselves with a similar query!

Thanks again.