benefits for postgraduate students with new born child

Incompetent

Hello

I am looking for advice and information in relation to universal credit and other benefits for post graduate students with a young child where one or both parents are in full time education. (We live in a UC area.)

Background - my wife and I had an unplanned daughter in August this year. I started a postgraduate Law course full time in September. I will return to full time work as a trainee solicitor in August/September 2019 but I must complete this course first. My wife is doing a PhD and is on maternity leave (with allowance from her funding body until June). We relocated from our rented house to my wife’s parents house in a different area of the country, which is the area where I will eventually be working. My wife’s parents very generously pay all our food bills and don’t charge us rent while we live with them. We are otherwise currently living off limited savings. We receive child benefit.

As we are both technically full time post graduate students, I cannot figure out what benefits we might be entitled to as a family unit. We would like to move out of my in-law’s property but we currently have no income other than my wife’s final PhD payment of £5000 which is due next year.

I am also trying to find out what we might be entitled to when I return to work on a full time salary of £19250 while my wife continues to study for her PhD. She has no more funding left beyond maternity leave pay. In short, how will my wife’s student status effect our eligibility for universal credit?

I am struggling to find any information relevant to our circumstances at all and would be grateful for any pointers.

Many thanks and Merry Christmas

A

calcotti

Because you are responsible for a child you can claim UC.

There is information here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Student-income-Universal-Credit