Universal credit

Beehoney

Hi,

I would like some advice regarding my situation with UC. I am newbie, couldn't see similar post.
 
I have 4 dependent children ages between 1 to 6 years. Partner is working here and there. I have started university undergrad course. I was told they will make adjustments. My question is what my options are, as student who's not taking the student loan and Maintenace offered by student finance. They have said we will treat you as if you are getting the loan and will be used as an income. This seems quite unfair to me, because i could not apply student finance for religious reasons. Its not that i have just decided to not take on my own will. Its primarily against my believes regarding interest. I have sent prove of letter from student finance showing £0.00 entitlement. I am already struggling financially; can someone please give me suggestions to claim 'Mandatory Reconsideration ' to the decision made.  

poppy12345

You have been informed correctly any maintenance loan available to you will affect your UC regardless of whether you take that loan or not. Requesting the MR isn’t going to help here because it’s in the UC regulations which can’t be changed. 

calcotti

If a loan is available to you then UC will treat you as having that loan regardless of whether or not you take. Studying is intended to be supported through the student finance system (repayable), not through the benefits system (non repayable).. Your religious objections will not be taken into account.

Beehoney

Thank you for your clarifications, prior to my application to Uni I had no idea it would affect UC.
I also did not inform UC my start date of the course as i thought at the time income wise nothing had changed. It came through another discussion that i informed them, i am studying full time. So now, that's one month overpayment they've sent me. Any idea if i can dispute that at all?

poppy12345

Beehoney said:

Thank you for your clarifications, prior to my application to Uni I had no idea it would affect UC.
I also did not inform UC my start date of the course as i thought at the time income wise nothing had changed. It came through another discussion that i informed them, i am studying full time. So now, that's one month overpayment they've sent me. Any idea if i can dispute that at all?

No because there's nothing to dispute. All overpayments are recoverable when claiming UC. You didn't report the changes and part of your commiments are that you are to report all changes. You will need to repay back any overpayment.

Silvertabby

Some banks offer Sharia mortgages ( if I'm on the right track re your religion).  Do they also offer the equivalent of student loans?  You can't be the first student to have this problem.

huckster

@Silvertabby has said exactly what I think most people would do, if for religious reasons they could not take out student finance. Because Universal Credit would deduct for available student finance, the claimant would have to look for any available financial support available that complied with their religious beliefs. 

@Beehoney you will have to look into alternative ways to support yourself financially while you are a student.

Spoonie_Turtle

The government are aware this is a problem (not specifically tied to UC, but that lack of compatible student finance scuppers a fair number of students every year) https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/sharia-compliant-alternative-student-finance/  They've not actually reached the point of finding a solution though.

[Interestingly, student loans from next academic year will have interest charged at RPI inflation rate so that in real terms, students won't have to pay back more than they've borrowed.]