Attending college while parter is claiming ESA, help?

Chloesian

Hi everyone, I was wondering if someone could clarify a couple of things for me as I can't find the exact answers I want anywhere.

I'm looking to start attending college (not university) again next year, my parter is claiming ESA and that is our only income, we also receive housing benefit. There's a couple of questions I have;

• Will me attending college affect the ESA?
• Will it affect housing benefit?
• Will I be able to get partial or total funding for the course?

epitome

Chloesian wrote: »

Hi everyone, I was wondering if someone could clarify a couple of things for me as I can't find the exact answers I want anywhere.

I'm looking to start attending college (not university) again next year, my parter is claiming ESA and that is our only income, we also receive housing benefit. There's a couple of questions I have;

• Will me attending college affect the ESA?
• Will it affect housing benefit?

Just doing a course of study will not of itself have any impact on ESA or HB...but read on...

• Will I be able to get partial or total funding for the course?

If you do get funding, then you have to tell ESA & HB what that funding is... and it is the funding that may affect the ESA or HB
If it is reduced fees because your partner gets ESA IR, then that will have no impact, but if you get student grant or student finance, student maintenance loan then these things might affect ESA and HB.

If he also has ESA Conts,, then that part of his ESA claim will remain unaffected whatever you get or do.

teddysmum

Colleges run different systems, but the one I worked in only allowed reduced or zero fees foe certain courses. Some had to be paid foe in full while others (Basic skills and EASL) were free to anyone regardless of circumstances.