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Please help! Could my part-time postgraduate loan result in me being made homeless?

Hi.
Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the length of this, I have looked elsewhere and haven't found anything that can really help me in making a decision as to my next step and I am desperately running out of time.

I work part-time in retail, just 14 hours a week (weekends) and earn £450 per month.
Just before I started my post grad course (sept 17) I moved out into a 1 bedroom flat, after being homeless and sleeping in a 24 hours starburcks for over a year.. During the time before me beginning my post-graduate studies, I was making a contribution to my rent of £30p/w (i received £44 p/w housing benefit) I was also paying approximate £30p/m council tax.

I receive funding from student finance of £10,280. Obviously I am a part time student so this is split into £5,140 per year. The cost of my tuition fee is £9,900.

Since becoming a student i informed HB and have had so many issues with my housing benefit and council tax that at the moment I feel like I'm being forced to choose between being made homeless or having to withdraw from a course I'm weeks away from sitting exams for.

I have already disputed the decision made by the relevant departments. They have again decided that I must use 30% of my loan to pay additional rent and council tax. At the moment, they have decided that from my student loan I have an additional income of £36.71 per week and should be paying this additional amount towards my rent. In total they are saying i should be paying £55.20 a week towards my rent but due to them making "overpayments" since september, I am being expected to pay £68.80 per week until this is covered.

As well as this, they are expecting me to pay £255 council tax in february to cover the "overpayment" for this.

Clearly, this is going to prove impossible for me on a wage of £450. Ive sent off a copy of my my student finance loan breakdown, an invoice for £5000 for my tuition fees this year, confirmation of my student status to the uni including hours I am in per week and they are already aware of my work hours and income. I've sent 2 letters to them explaining this.

I'm living in a one bedroom flat which is over an hour away from my work and uni so I'm having to pay £5.20 per day to get there. Because of all of this, I'm going to work for 9 hours with no lunch whatsoever and if I'm hit with the above bills next month I wont even be able to afford to get to uni or work.

Can anyone advise me at to what I should do. I sent off another letter disputing it today but I'm feeling far from hopeful right now. At the moment it seems I have the option of returning to homelessness or having to drop out of uni. This is very upsetting to me because I have come so far already, and have received 99/100 in one of my mocks and "excellent competency" in my other. I have worked hard for this and am meant to be starting my real exams next month. I have no family. Any advice anyone can offer would be great.
:(

Comments

  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Presumably you now have the Class N student exemption in place for now ? (If you're on a full time course)

    If you're in England and Wales,

    Apply for a discretionary council tax reduction against the arrears - https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiG3MqBj_nYAhWJL8AKHUMJB3AQFggpMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Flgfa92.co.uk%2Fsection-13a-write-off%2F&usg=AOvVaw2OxYpoV9CPQubxhElJezsl
    As well as this, they are expecting me to pay £255 council tax in february to cover the "overpayment" for this.

    Are you in England ?

    If so, providing you haven't lost the right to pay by instalments then contact them and state you want moved to a '12 month instalment plan'. They cannot refuse this, although they can insist it is in writing. This will reset the payment dates and spread the monies out to the end of the council tax year on 31 March. Most likely they'll give one instalment for 1 March but it buys you the extra time until then at least.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • Thanks for your response.
    I am in England however I am a part-time postgraduate student. I'm not sure about what you meant by the Class N exemption but I have received no correspondence with regard to this.

    Can I also ask whether anything would change if I were to give up my job just until I get through the uni course and if this would enable me to receive a higher housing benefit contribution.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 48,086 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    Forget tuition fee loan as its irrelevant.

    They are looking at your student loan as income adding it to your earned income and calculating your HB entitlement based on that.

    I can't say if their calculation is right or not.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages, student & coronavirus Boards, money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • If your only studying part time, can't you work more hours? I study full time post grad and know students with part time jobs so in theory you should be able to do more hours to earn more money.
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    byetc wrote: »
    Thanks for your response.
    I am in England however I am a part-time postgraduate student. I'm not sure about what you meant by the Class N exemption but I have received no correspondence with regard to this.

    Can I also ask whether anything would change if I were to give up my job just until I get through the uni course and if this would enable me to receive a higher housing benefit contribution.

    The Class N exemption is the specific council tax exemption which can be awarded to a property which is occupied only by full time students.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 48,086 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    edited 29 January 2018 at 6:29PM
    I receive funding from student finance of £10,280. Obviously I am a part time student so this is split into £5,140 per year. The cost of my tuition fee is £9,900.

    [STRIKE]Assume that the tuition fee loan is on top of the £10k funding?[/STRIKE]
    At the moment, they have decided that from my student loan I have an additional income of £36.71 per week and should be paying this additional amount towards my rent.

    £5140 is approx £100 a week. So it looks like they have taken off some of it for student expenses. I don't see that they would ever expect all your income to be spent on housing.

    Whatever the finances, it makes sense to struggle through for a few weeks until your exams are past and hopefully passed. can you then increase your hours?

    Is there a student advice team that can help you check you are getting the right amount?
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages, student & coronavirus Boards, money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Silvercar, for postgrad the student loan you get, the £10k, is to cover both tuition fees and living costs. There isn't a separate tuition loan and maintence loan like in undergrad.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 48,086 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    Silvercar, for postgrad the student loan you get, the £10k, is to cover both tuition fees and living costs. There isn't a separate tuition loan and maintence loan like in undergrad.

    And the relevant .gov page says that the dwp will take into account the loan when assessing for benefits.

    So it seems that it is treated as income for benefit calculations.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages, student & coronavirus Boards, money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • I talked to a person who used to work for DWP, they said that you can comfortably take them to court (if i understood them right) as a loan to pay tuition fees should not be considered as income. They said that someone who you were talking to is just ticking the boxed incorrectly being stubborn and you should not give up and you should prove that the loan is for tuition fees and does not let you buy food or pay rent and you will be on the street if they don't stop being inhumane.
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