Working tax credits and OU study

Paulmmm

Hello,


Does anyone know if it's possible to still be on working tax credits while studying full time at the Open University? By this I mean working 30hrs a week while completing 120 OU credits worth of modules in a year.

I know for student loan purposes the OU is always classed as part time study. Is this also true for working tax credits? Because as far as I know, working tax credits and other benefits exclude anyone classed as a full time student. 120 credits/year would be full time at a brick uni.







Thanks
Paul

Darksparkle

If you are working the required number of hours then being a student in your spare time is not relevant to wtc.

[Deleted User]

Yeah I did exactly what you described when I did some studying with them and it never impacted the WTC

Paulmmm

Thanks for the replies guys.



I I just don't want to end up in a situation where I take on 120 credits at OU only to find later it's classed as full time study. That would be catastrophic. Say if I lost my job, and couldn't claim any benefits. (While also not having any recourse to maintenance loans)

[Deleted User]

Paulmmm wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys.



I I just don't want to end up in a situation where I take on 120 credits at OU only to find later it's classed as full time study. That would be catastrophic. Say if I lost my job, and couldn't claim any benefits. (While also not having any recourse to maintenance loans)

If you lost your job your tax credits would stop and if your course is classed as full time you couldn't claim income replacement benefits.

Paulmmm

Hi Shel,

This is what I am trying to clarify.

If, for benefit purposes, OU study is ever classed as 'full time study' or not.

All I know so far is student finance do not consider it full time since it is distance learning. Even at 120 credits a year. (full time degree) Hence why maintenance loans to cover living costs are not available to OU students.

If it's never classed as full time study, then I wouldn't have an issue for example with JSA & HB should the need ever arise. This is why it's so important to know beyond doubt.


Paul

[Deleted User]

Paulmmm wrote: »

Hi Shel,

This is what I am trying to clarify.

If, for benefit purposes, OU study is ever classed as 'full time study' or not.

All I know so far is student finance do not consider it full time since it is distance learning. Even at 120 credits a year. (full time degree) Hence why maintenance loans to cover living costs are not available to OU students.

If it's never classed as full time study, then I wouldn't have an issue for example with JSA & HB should the need ever arise. This is why it's so important to know beyond doubt.


Paul

DWP will look at how many hours you are studying. The course guidance will guide them but student finance decisions will not. If you are studying several modules at once and each module states it should take 10hrs of study a week then you'll struggle to convince them it's part time.

But why the concern? Is your job at risk?

GotToChange

I read recently that Open University courses are "always classed as part-time". I cannot remember where I read it though - may the the actual OU would know.

There is also imformation out there about the introduction of maintenance loans (separate to Fee Loans) for distance learning for diabled students ; don't know if this applies for you, also I think they are not being introduced until next year in England (this year in Wales...).