Lone Parent / Student with Income Support / Universal Credit query

Gemz17

Good evening all

I wonder if anyone is able to please offer me any advice.

I am currently studying at university (in my first year) and prior to studying I was claiming income support. When uni started I stopped claiming and I was informed that during the summer months I would be able to claim again.

I am currently in receipt of housing benefit and child tax credits and the uni term ends at the end of May.

I spoke with income support last week who informed me that as universal credit have now rolled out in my area, if I wish to make a new claim I would need to claim for universal credit.

Nobody is able to tell me whether I would actually be eligible for the income support element of universal credit and the calculator online doesn’t accommodate for student. I can apply anyway and see whether I am entitled but all of the benefits would stop in the meantime whilst they process the application. I am aware that if I am entitled to the income support element then my housing benefit would significantly increase which would help me a lot over the summer. I have claimed the full entitlement of student maintenance loans and I’m not sure whether that would make a difference.

It’s very frustrating to know whether to put in a claim or not when I know that my benefits will be stopped for potentially up to 5 weeks. If I am not entitled to the income support element, it does seem a bit daft to switch over at this stage whilst it’s not compulsory.

I appreciate this is a bit of a unique situation but I just wondered whether there was anybody who could offer any advice please or anybody who had been through this situation.

I should add I have two children (age 2 and 7) and I am a lone parent.

Many thanks in advance.

poppy12345

Gemz17 wrote: »

Good evening all

I wonder if anyone is able to please offer me any advice.

I am currently studying at university (in my first year) and prior to studying I was claiming income support. When uni started I stopped claiming and I was informed that during the summer months I would be able to claim again.

I am currently in receipt of housing benefit and child tax credits and the uni term ends at the end of May.

I spoke with income support last week who informed me that as universal credit have now rolled out in my area, if I wish to make a new claim I would need to claim for universal credit.

Nobody is able to tell me whether I would actually be eligible for the income support element of universal credit and the calculator online doesn’t accommodate for student. I can apply anyway and see whether I am entitled but all of the benefits would stop in the meantime whilst they process the application. I am aware that if I am entitled to the income support element then my housing benefit would significantly increase which would help me a lot over the summer. I have claimed the full entitlement of student maintenance loans and I’m not sure whether that would make a difference.

It’s very frustrating to know whether to put in a claim or not when I know that my benefits will be stopped for potentially up to 5 weeks. If I am not entitled to the income support element, it does seem a bit daft to switch over at this stage whilst it’s not compulsory.

I appreciate this is a bit of a unique situation but I just wondered whether there was anybody who could offer any advice please or anybody who had been through this situation.

I should add I have two children (age 2 and 7) and I am a lone parent.

Many thanks in advance.

Students can't usally claim UC unless they have children, which you do. However, your maintenance loan is classed as income when claiming a means tested benefit. Did you tell housing benefit about this when you started uni? I found this link about UC and students. Hopefully others my have more advice for you because students and benefits are complicated.
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Student-income-Universal-Credit

huckster

Yes students and UC don't work very well together.

It is a case of applying for UC. During the Summer when not attending Uni, the student maintenance income is not taken into account, but you need to advise UC of the dates, provide a document confirming the information. When Uni starts again in September/October, UC will add the student maintenance income back onto claim, which would affect the amount they pay.

Once you apply for UC, you will have to go to Job Centre to verify information anyway. If you have any questions about how this will work, then that is the time to ask. If the Job Centre is near a University, they will have someone that knows about the issues affecting students.

As you stopped your Income Support claim, now your postcode is a UC area, you cannot make a new IS claim and if you need benefit help it will be UC.

Gemz17

Many thanks for your reply and the link too. In answer to your question, yes I let everyone know about my maintenance loan. On the bottom of the confirmation letter for the loan there is a section which explains how much of that loan is classed as income. I’m very careful to keep everyone up to date.

Gemz17

Sorry guys, I’m new to this forum so not 100% sure how you rely individually. (Not every impressive for a student eh!)
Huckster - thank you for your reply with some useful information. I didn’t think the loan was classed as income during the summer months. I know that was the case for income support but was unsure about universal credit. Also, with income support, I know can be paid to those which children under the age of 5 but again I can’t find any information as to whether this is the same for universal credit (although I did find a list of ages of child and responsibilities work wise). I am unable to post the link as I am a new user.
My youngest will be 3 in July and this states that I should be expected to work up to 16 hours per week. I am unsure whether this is relevant to me as a student.

huckster

Gemz17 wrote: »

Sorry guys, I’m new to this forum so not 100% sure how you rely individually. (Not every impressive for a student eh!)
Huckster - thank you for your reply with some useful information. I didn’t think the loan was classed as income during the summer months. I know that was the case for income support but was unsure about universal credit. Also, with income support, I know can be paid to those which children under the age of 5 but again I can’t find any information as to whether this is the same for universal credit (although I did find a list of ages of child and responsibilities work wise). I am unable to post the link as I am a new user.
My youngest will be 3 in July and this states that I should be expected to work up to 16 hours per week. I am unsure whether this is relevant to me as a student.

Yes you include the children and housing rent.

You just need to go to Gov.uk/universal credit and make the application. Once you make the application, you will have a to-do list on your online claim log in page of what actions you need to take. It will tell you what information you need to supply the Job Centre and when.

It is just a case of going with the flow, providing information when it is requested and working with the Job Centre Work Coach, as well as the Case Manager in the service centre. Universal Credit is a online claim account, so you will receive journal messages and to-do actions. You can raise queries through the journal and report any changes on your account online.

In regard to any working requirement, when you have a commitment meeting at the Job Centre will discuss this with you. With young children and studies, i am not sure there would a requirement to work 16 hours a week.

Debbylou

Hi everyone, just joined the forum and really need some answers,
My daughter is 23 and lived in a rented property with her 2 yr old beautiful boy , she applied for universal credit after uni had finished in May , money was fine ( well she managed) then come September, back at uni her money has changed dramatically, is it right that maintainace loan can be means tested ? Surely it says it in the wording loan! Well now she can’t afford to pay her rent she’s £700 worse off , so she is having to come back home and share a box room with her son , I think it’s disgraceful how this universal credit works cams somebody please tell me this is correct or should she appeal ? Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply it’s much appreciated c

poppy12345

Debbylou wrote: »

Hi everyone, just joined the forum and really need some answers,
My daughter is 23 and lived in a rented property with her 2 yr old beautiful boy , she applied for universal credit after uni had finished in May , money was fine ( well she managed) then come September, back at uni her money has changed dramatically, is it right that maintainace loan can be means tested ? Surely it says it in the wording loan! Well now she can’t afford to pay her rent she’s £700 worse off , so she is having to come back home and share a box room with her son , I think it’s disgraceful how this universal credit works cams somebody please tell me this is correct or should she appeal ? Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply it’s much appreciated c

Yes they are counted as income for means tested benefits.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Student-income-Universal-Credit

calcotti

It is correct that student loans are treated as income when calculating UC https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/how-much-youll-get/

EDIT: poppy’s link is a much better one than mine!

Ineededaname

Debbylou wrote: »

Hi everyone, just joined the forum and really need some answers,
My daughter is 23 and lived in a rented property with her 2 yr old beautiful boy , she applied for universal credit after uni had finished in May , money was fine ( well she managed) then come September, back at uni her money has changed dramatically, is it right that maintainace loan can be means tested ? Surely it says it in the wording loan! Well now she can’t afford to pay her rent she’s £700 worse off , so she is having to come back home and share a box room with her son , I think it’s disgraceful how this universal credit works cams somebody please tell me this is correct or should she appeal ? Thank you for taking the time to read this and reply it’s much appreciated c

Students aren't usually eligible for benefits. Universal Credit is not supposed to be covering her costs of living. That's what student finance is for. She isn't £700 a month worse off. They only deduct the loan that she has had. Therefore she has the same amount of money, possibly more as grants are often ignored. She can only claim because she has a child and would have been entitled to child tax credits on the old systems. It's not different to before. She wouldn't have been able to claim benefits for herself as a student.

There's nothing to appeal. It's legislation.

Tomsdottir

Your student loan for maintenance (not fees) counts as income. Any other grants you receive are ignored, apart from any amounts for the maintenance of your partner and/or children, along with any specific amount of a grant which is earmarked for rent (if your UC includes an amount for rent). A dependants’ grant or lone parents’ grant paid on top of your loan counts as income. Any discretionary fund payment paid by your college or Uni is ignored, as long as it is not for the maintenance of your partner or children, and is not a specified amount for rent that is met by UC.
The DWP divides the income which is taken into account over the number of assessment periods in your course's year (for example, 8 or 9) and then ignores £110 of income in each assessment period.
Say you are a lone parent who gets a loan of £6,750, an independent students' bursary of £875 and a lone parents' grant of £1,305, and there are 8 assessment periods in your course year.
Your independent students' bursary is ignored. Your loan and lone parents’ grant (which add up to £8,055) count as income over the eight assessment periods (during September 2018 to May 2019).
£8,055 ÷ 8 = £1,006.88
£1,006.88 – £110 = £896.88
Your UC is calculated therefore on student income of £896.88 a month. From May 2019, your weekly income from student funding is nil, so your next UC payment in June 2019 will be based on £0 student funding.
Some people might need extra help towards their housing costs, and may be able to get a discretionary housing payment (DHP) from their local authority. This could be the case if your housing costs are being restricted because of the bedroom tax, for example, or because the rent you pay in the private sector is higher than the local housing allowance.
I wasn't sure why she would have claimed universal credit during the summer vacation. I've come across cases of housing associations incorrectly advising students to claim UC when they didn't need to, and losing significant amounts of benefit as a result. She may wish to seek advice on why she was advised to claim UC rather than remaining on any benefits to which she was previously entitled, and if necessary complaining and requesting compensation from whoever gave her this advice. Of course, it may have been necessary for her to claim UC, if she wasn't already receiving housing benefit and income support, for example.
Just as it was possible for some categories of students to claim certain benefits under the old system such as housing benefit and income support, some can also qualify for Universal Credit.
Full time students in advanced education can qualify if they
are responsible for a child or young person;
are under 22 on a non-advanced course, you were under 21 when you started the course, and you are ’without parental support’ ;
have "limited capability for work" and get disability living allowance or personal independence payment;
are a single foster parent;
are a member of a student couple and one of you is a foster parent;
are over the qualifying age for pension credit and your partner has not yet reached that age;
have a partner who is not a student, or who is a student but would be eligible for UC her/himself while studying;
have taken time out because of illness or caring responsibilities, but have now recovered or your caring responsibilities have ended, and you are not eligible for a grant or loan.