My boyfriends SOA - Help needed here

RAS

She will get a state bursary towards her living costs - given OH's situation this will be the maximum. This will be based on HOUSEHOLD income for the current tax year - B-S & Mr B-S will be married then, so this may not be the maximum

because she is on the maximum state bursary, she will get the maximum university bursary - probably £1000 a year (for 30 weeks). see above - HOUSEHOLD income dependant.

At the moment, student's parents have to pay if the net household income is over £15,000, after allowances. Next year, this limit will be somewhere in the region of £25,000, which is why a lot of potential students have defered starting their course. They will be a lot better off under the new system.

Based on what BS has said about her income and BFs, they will be below that limit.

and most Uni's do not encourage that, even thought they know many students HAVE to take a job

Which is precisely why most universities have on campus employment agencies/ jobshops. They would rather students earn a decent rate per hour than work long hours. Outside the Russell Group, most student work these days.

What may make a difference is if you and OH could save a small amount so that in year 3 she does not have to work in her last term when all the assessments and exams are. Not necessarily correct - most Uni's nowadays are on a 2-semester system, meaning exams in January and June in 1st & 3rd years, if not all years.

Unfortuate phrasing here - most universities base their degree classifications on the results of the last year's assignments, exams. So not matters not a jot what sort of results she gets in the first two years, as long as she passes. generally she gets two chances to pass as well.

So if BS and OH are going to provide any financial support, the time she needs it most is in the final year. Also, she would probably benefit from staying at uni for part of the Easter vac, so that she can access library and computer facilities, which means she cant work in the vac to earn extra money.

RAS

BS

I am going to play devil advocate here, but please bear with me because I think there may be some misunderstanding here. I may not finish this tonight, but will come back tomorrow.

She is 17 and in doing her A levels.

black-saturn wrote: »

council accomodation is £52 per week. If you saw his flat you would know why.

black-saturn wrote: »

He doesn't have a washing machine as his washer broke down and he can't afford another one. So he hand washes all the clothes and everything in Stardrops which anyone on the OS board will tell you is cheap.

And she is living in a low income family, in grotty accomodation without what are often considered normal comforts? She only has one parent, which suggests that what are sometimes called the femiinine touches are rather lacking at home?

black-saturn wrote: »

and hoping to go to University in next year

GOOD ON HER. Plainly she bright and able, and she wants a chance to live a life on more than the minimum wage.

black-saturn wrote: »

Well in May/June that will be happening. He would be living here now but yet again the daughter had a paddy and said that she couldnt possibly live here as it was too boring.

If you moved her part way through her course, she may not have been able to complete her A levels.

Even if her new college/school offer the same qualification with the same exam board, the chances that the examination/assessment will be different because they have teach different units. Then the kid ends up with an unmatched results and they fail.

And she will be doing her exams or finishing her final assessment in May/June, so it would really help her if you knew when these where so your marriage plans do not affect them.

So she may genuinely be concerned about the impact of this plan on her future. If I was 17 and faced my only parent getting married and leaving me as soon as he married, I would have been really scared. Even the knowledge of it would have affected my ability to study the previous year.

That's before you start to consider how important peer groups are to teens, possibly even more so for those who only have one parent. It takes time to replace that social network when you move and she may not be in Lowestoft long enough before she went to uni.

black-saturn wrote: »

last night she asked her dad how much he was going to send her each week when she's at Uni !!!!

When he said he couldnt and she will have to get a job she went off in a sulk and stayed at her boyfriends all night.

Right now she is having to decide where she applies to University; she will probably have to hand the form in towards the end of the month. The issue of finances will impact on where she can choose. So it was sensible for her to ask the question. It may be that some of her initial choices are no longer options because of the situation. Has OH talked to her and school/college about this?

black-saturn wrote: »

She will be paying that and then in september letting it go as she will be going to university.

If she is thinking about staying in London to study, it might be more sensible find out what the full rate is for the flat and then keep the tenancy and let out the other room to another student, using the lodger tax allowance. Digs vary from about £55 a week including bills to £120 per week, across the country. London is one of the most expensive places but there are other horrors around. And some areas where the housing in year 2 and 3 is very expensive.

RAS

By the way, could you sign BF up for the local frecycle group on http://www.freecycle.org/group/United%20Kingdom/London/Southwark. He might be able to get a free washer from there? Also he could try some of the adjoining areas particularly if incomes are higher there.

Also a good source of other goodies to make life at hom more comfortable.

And if he does not even have internet access via the local library, could madam sign up and find a deal? Teach her good hunting skills and make life at home better.

Floss

RAS wrote: »

Unfortuate phrasing here - most universities base their degree classifications on the results of the last year's assignments, exams. So not matters not a jot what sort of results she gets in the first two years, as long as she passes. generally she gets two chances to pass as well.

Sorry to contradict - Nowadays the majority of degrees are based on your performance over the whole of the course, including 1st year exams...this can determine the classification and whether honours or not.

Also, if she doesn't pass her 1st year, she may not have any choice but to go home & get a job, and some courses will demand an overall pass in EVERY year, and not just in compulsory modules. This is the voice of experience with both Leeds & London Uni's, plus approx. 40 assorted other Uni's/courses where family & DSs mates are studying, between 1st & 4th years. Yes, you get another chance to take the exams, but if you don't get the overall required number of credits, it is bye-bye.

If she is keen to go to Uni, she should apply now - if she changes her mind or the finances are too difficult, she can defer until the following year. The DofE have a very good website, but the details for next year's financial support won't be on just yet, you'll have to keep checking.

Floss

Floss

RAS wrote: »

BS

If she is thinking about staying in London to study, it might be more sensible find out what the full rate is for the flat and then keep the tenancy and let out the other room to another student, using the lodger tax allowance.

Just another point - if this is a Council / Housing Association flat, there is possibly a clause prohibiting sub-letting or taking a lodger without notifying them & getting permission - which could put her tenancy in jeopardy.

Floss

black-saturn

Thankyou RAS. This is precisely why we have put the wedding off until now. We have been in a long distance relationship for 3 years and have another year to go. It's been really difficult doing all that travelling for so long.

As for the peer group comment. She was originally at a school and changed half way through one year to another school. She doesn't see any of the people she knew at the old school. So effectively she changed her peer group overnight.

pipkin71

black-saturn wrote: »

Thankyou RAS. This is precisely why we have put the wedding off until now. We have been in a long distance relationship for 3 years and have another year to go. It's been really difficult doing all that travelling for so long.

Black saturn, I would say it was wise to hold off the wedding as it sounds as though your partner put his daughter's needs before his own, and will do so until she is 18.

I have to say that swapping his daughter's name onto the tenancy seems a tad underhand as a two bedroomed flat / house? is not necessary to meet her needs, but at the same time, can appreciate it is her family home. A local authority would not advise that your partner transfers tenancy as he is not entitled to do so and therefore once your partner moves in with you, their home should legally be given back to the housing authority it is let by, especially as your partner then will have a half share in your home.

Long distance relationships have many difficulties, although they can be overcome by the love you have for each other, the travelling has clearly been hard judging by your comments. One question I would ask is has all that travelling affected your children as I would not consider putting my children through that each week - it doesn't seem fair. Equally, leaving them in the care of others whilst you go to London would not seem right either.

Looking at your partner's SOA, he probably couldn't make the journey to you but there doesn't seem that much he could cut back on. Perhaps applying for benefits such as WTC or CTB / HB as he is on a low wage may help. Not sure if he already receives HB as his rent is pretty low anyway.

black-saturn

pipkin71 wrote: »

I have to say that swapping his daughter's name onto the tenancy seems a tad underhand as a two bedroomed flat / house? is not necessary to meet her needs, but at the same time, can appreciate it is her family home. A local authority would not advise that your partner transfers tenancy as he is not entitled to do so and therefore once your partner moves in with you, their home should legally be given back to the housing authority it is let by, especially as your partner then will have a half share in your home.

We have already been to the local authority about this and they have advised us to put her name on the tenancy agreement at 18 and stay in the flat when he moves out. Having said that though I don't really agree with that decision. As someone who was in desperate need of housing at one time but couldnt get it I would rather see it go to another family.

pipkin71 wrote: »

One question I would ask is has all that travelling affected your children as I would not consider putting my children through that each week - it doesn't seem fair. Equally, leaving them in the care of others whilst you go to London would not seem right either.

It's a 2 hour journey on a friday and a 2 hour journey on a sunday every other weekend. I would hardly call that "putting them through it". They read and do homework whilst on the journey and havn't ever moaned about it.

pipkin71 wrote: »

Looking at your partner's SOA, he probably couldn't make the journey to you but there doesn't seem that much he could cut back on. Perhaps applying for benefits such as WTC or CTB / HB as he is on a low wage may help. Not sure if he already receives HB as his rent is pretty low anyway.

He does make the journey every other weekend the same as me. He has been to the council now and asked them to re-look at his benefit. He did that about 6 months ago and they told him his benefit was at the right level but I've urged him to do it again. We will see what happens.

Uniscots97

Hi Black-Saturn, a little while since I read your thread and just wanted to see how you were getting on. Had a little thought regarding your OH's daughter. Would she be interested in doing AQA or similar? She might find that interesting. I must admit I was a bit gobsmacked at her spending the money she'd been given on jeans etc. I think I would have marched her back to the shop and made her take them back. But easier said than done.

How did the meeting go with the vicar? Keep your chin up. It'll all work out.

Jazzyjeff_2

Floss wrote: »

Sorry to contradict - Nowadays the majority of degrees are based on your performance over the whole of the course, including 1st year exams...this can determine the classification and whether honours or not.

Also, if she doesn't pass her 1st year, she may not have any choice but to go home & get a job, and some courses will demand an overall pass in EVERY year, and not just in compulsory modules. This is the voice of experience with both Leeds & London Uni's, plus approx. 40 assorted other Uni's/courses where family & DSs mates are studying, between 1st & 4th years. Yes, you get another chance to take the exams, but if you don't get the overall required number of credits, it is bye-bye.

If she is keen to go to Uni, she should apply now - if she changes her mind or the finances are too difficult, she can defer until the following year. The DofE have a very good website, but the details for next year's financial support won't be on just yet, you'll have to keep checking.

Floss

In my experience you are both wrong (taken from Exeter, Southampton, Kent Universities)

Yes you have to pass your exams but the 1st year doesn't actually count for anything, years 2 and 3 both count (usually equal weighting) to your overall degree!!

nicola1982_2

I'd say appeal the housing benefit (unless maybe it's because of the council house low rent) as my partner and I have been told we'll be eligible for a small amount when I'm not working and he earns £17k PA (that's with one child). However we live in a private rental home with rent at £525 PCM so maybe that makes a difference.

Main cut I can see is food and DD's pocket money. At 17 she should be getting part time work anyway as she will need work xp to get a job after University.