Step-mother and SFE/SLC?

garryoaklnd2

Hello all, hope you're well,

I have a question about my daughter's student finance application.
I am a divorced, but re-married father of 3, and I currently live alone with my daughter, as my wife and I live completely separately. My wife, my daughter's step-mother, lives in her own house, and has all of her financial ties associated with her own household and close family. Needless to say, we live and operate separately, and my daughter (nor myself) will receive financial support from my wife.

For this reason - I was wondering, what happens if my daughter doesn't list her step-mother on the finance application? I have a single-occupancy tax bill to evidence myself and my daughter being the only people at this address. I know this topic is a hard one, and there are stories of the game of SFE/SLC being "played", but we're a low-middle class household, and I'd like my daughter to receive as much support from the maintenance loans as possible.

Thanks very much,
Kindest regards.

Ed-1

You and your daughter have to state your marital status on the application form. Failing to state 'married' is application fraud and if discovered later on would result in funding being withdrawn, being banned from further student funding and a CIFAS marker being applied to both you and your daughter (which would ruin you both financially for 6 years as your bank accounts would be closed by your banks and you wouldn't be able to open another while the CIFAS fraud marker is in place). Worth the risk? Don't think so.

If you weren't married then having a partner not living with you would be fine but you are married so both incomes need to be declared.

garryoaklnd2

Ed-1 said:

You and your daughter have to state your marital status on the application form. Failing to state 'married' is application fraud and if discovered later on would result in funding being withdrawn, being banned from further student funding and a CIFAS marker being applied to both you and your daughter (which would ruin you both financially for 6 years as your bank accounts would be closed by your banks and you wouldn't be able to open another while the CIFAS fraud marker is in place). Worth the risk? Don't think so.

If you weren't married then having a partner not living with you would be fine but you are married so both incomes need to be declared.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

silvercar

I would ask sfe for their opinion in writing. if you asked hmrc their advise would be that you are a married couple and count as such, but this is student finance and not tax and you may find their view is different. 

Ed-1

silvercar said:

I would ask sfe for their opinion in writing. if you asked hmrc their advise would be that you are a married couple and count as such, but this is student finance and not tax and you may find their view is different. 

The regulations are crystal clear in this matter and are summarised on this webpage:

https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/student-finance-guidance-parents-and-partners

Supporting your child's application

If you’re supporting your child’s application, your household income is the combined income of you and:

• your child
• your spouse
• your partner 

If you’re married, Student Finance England will need your spouse’s income even if you don’t live together, or they’re not the student’s parent.

If you live with your partner, they’ll need to tell Student Finance England about their income even if you were not living together during the tax year being asked about.

silvercar

Ed-1 said:

silvercar said:

I would ask sfe for their opinion in writing. if you asked hmrc their advise would be that you are a married couple and count as such, but this is student finance and not tax and you may find their view is different. 

The regulations are crystal clear in this matter and are summarised on this webpage:

https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/student-finance-guidance-parents-and-partners

Supporting your child's application

If you’re supporting your child’s application, your household income is the combined income of you and:

• your child
• your spouse
• your partner 

If you’re married, Student Finance England will need your spouse’s income even if you don’t live together, or they’re not the student’s parent.

If you live with your partner, they’ll need to tell Student Finance England about their income even if you were not living together during the tax year being asked about.

But you can be separated (even legally separated) without any intention to divorce. Living in separate homes would add weight to this.

Ed-1

silvercar said:

Ed-1 said:

silvercar said:

I would ask sfe for their opinion in writing. if you asked hmrc their advise would be that you are a married couple and count as such, but this is student finance and not tax and you may find their view is different. 

The regulations are crystal clear in this matter and are summarised on this webpage:

https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/student-finance-guidance-parents-and-partners

Supporting your child's application

If you’re supporting your child’s application, your household income is the combined income of you and:

• your child
• your spouse
• your partner 

If you’re married, Student Finance England will need your spouse’s income even if you don’t live together, or they’re not the student’s parent.

If you live with your partner, they’ll need to tell Student Finance England about their income even if you were not living together during the tax year being asked about.

But you can be separated (even legally separated) without any intention to divorce. Living in separate homes would add weight to this.

You'd probably get away with putting separated and evidencing with a single occupancy discount on council tax. But it's still fraud if they're not actually separated and have always had this marriage arrangement.

garryoaklnd2

@silvercar @Ed-1
Apologies for not quoting, having some issues - tagged instead.
-- 
From what I understand, they can also accept alternative documents proving separation, including a Decree Nisi and the likes. From what I understand, a person who has a Decree Nisi is still married. Unfortunately, this information is not 'crystal' clear, and is extremely daunting for the likes of myself, who is given contradicting pieces of information from either side.
I appreciate all of your responses, and I will consult SFE shortly, as this seems to be the only reliable option.

Thanks again,
Have a great day.