where will our universal credit stand with carers element added?

fitzykev

huckster said:

Once your earnings information stops being received by UC, this will lead to the Job Centre booking in mandatory appointments for your wife to attend at the Job Centre. I suspect your earnings had been keeping your wife's claim in a category, where the Job Centre were not booking in appointments. 

At this is when the University issue will become a main focus of attention for UC. 

Okay so i wanted to confirm what i would get first sorry i get confused easy thats why i have left the university part until now. So my wife is full time and gets £402 pounds a month bursary. She told me that in a brefing about the bursary that they where told its course based and not income based and that it wont affect any benifits

huckster

I think your wife has been told incorrect information.
Yes bursaries to help with some aspects of being a full time University do not affect UC, but this does not mean that UC are not interested in the student maintenance finance that is available, but not taken up.  UC should take into account student maintenance finance available and this forces students to look at applying for this student finance.

Being a full time student and being on UC is usually incompatible, but there can be exceptions. UC will normally only switch off work search requirement, where the claimant meets student eligibility criteria for UC and there is a deduction applied related to student maintenance finance.  Where there is no such deduction, there is likely be an underlying need to take up paid work.

Once your employment earnings information stops being received by UC, your wife is going to be a focus of attention from the Job Centre. 

fitzykev

huckster said:

I think your wife has been told incorrect information.
Yes bursaries to help with some aspects of being a full time University do not affect UC, but this does not mean that UC are not interested in the student maintenance finance that is available, but not taken up.  UC should take into account student maintenance finance available and this forces students to look at applying for this student finance.

Being a full time student and being on UC is usually incompatible, but there can be exceptions. UC will normally only switch off work search requirement, where the claimant meets student eligibility criteria for UC and there is a deduction applied related to student maintenance finance.  Where there is no such deduction, there is likely be an underlying need to take up paid work.

Once your employment earnings information stops being received by UC, your wife is going to be a focus of attention from the Job Centre. 

Okay. But she is full time nursing student. The university has her on placement in the hospitals often doing shifts 8 until 8 and weekends also obviously unpaid. The part that says we can earn up to 675 pounds before deductions are made.  Does this mean the 402 pounds a week bursary wont affect the entitelment ? 

huckster

If your wife's student related income has not been taken into account by UC, then an error has occurred. UC should have made a calculation of how much student income to consider.

Bursary is not the issue as that is not earnings. It is student maintenance finance available and not considered.

A link to the RCN page on this topic is below.

https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Help/Member-support-services/Welfare-Service/Understanding-benefits/Students-and-benefits/Universal-Credit

And a related answer from a minister in Parliament.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-07-09/71757

fitzykev

huckster said:

If your wife's student related income has not been taken into account by UC, then an error has occurred. UC should have made a calculation of how much student income to consider.

Bursary is not the issue as that is not earnings. It is student maintenance finance available and not considered.

A link to the RCN page on this topic is below.

https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Help/Member-support-services/Welfare-Service/Understanding-benefits/Students-and-benefits/Universal-Credit

And a related answer from a minister in Parliament.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-07-09/71757

My wife does not recieve student maintanance finance. 

huckster

UC should take it into account, whether applied for or not.

This issue will come up, as soon as your earnings are not being deducted for, when your wife is booked into a Job Centre appointment.

marcia_

fitzykev said:

huckster said:

If your wife's student related income has not been taken into account by UC, then an error has occurred. UC should have made a calculation of how much student income to consider.

Bursary is not the issue as that is not earnings. It is student maintenance finance available and not considered.

A link to the RCN page on this topic is below.

https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Help/Member-support-services/Welfare-Service/Understanding-benefits/Students-and-benefits/Universal-Credit

And a related answer from a minister in Parliament.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-07-09/71757

My wife does not recieve student maintanance finance. 

 That doesn't matter. If she is eligible and chose not to apply you will be assessed as if she had taken it. Because you can't turn down money in order to maximise means tested benefits 

fitzykev

huckster said:

UC should take it into account, whether applied for or not.

This issue will come up, as soon as your earnings are not being deducted for, when your wife is booked into a Job Centre appointment.

So i am guessing here loan would be the living elsewhere on?

The maximum Maintenance Loan amounts for Northern Ireland students are:

• £5,250 if you are living at home with parents and attending college in Northern Ireland
• £9,492 if the course is in London
• £8,078 if you are overseas
• £6,776 if you live elsewhere

Rubyroobs

fitzykev said:

huckster said:

I think your wife has been told incorrect information.
Yes bursaries to help with some aspects of being a full time University do not affect UC, but this does not mean that UC are not interested in the student maintenance finance that is available, but not taken up.  UC should take into account student maintenance finance available and this forces students to look at applying for this student finance.

Being a full time student and being on UC is usually incompatible, but there can be exceptions. UC will normally only switch off work search requirement, where the claimant meets student eligibility criteria for UC and there is a deduction applied related to student maintenance finance.  Where there is no such deduction, there is likely be an underlying need to take up paid work.

Once your employment earnings information stops being received by UC, your wife is going to be a focus of attention from the Job Centre. 

Okay. But she is full time nursing student. The university has her on placement in the hospitals often doing shifts 8 until 8 and weekends also obviously unpaid. The part that says we can earn up to 675 pounds before deductions are made.  Does this mean the 402 pounds a week bursary wont affect the entitelment ? 

The NHS bursary is just extra money for Nursing students though. Does she not get other student finance in addition to this? My daughter is a student Nurse and she gets the normal maintenance loans and then bursary on top. If your wife is getting the normal maintenance  loan then that would be deducted from UC as that is considered money available to live on. If she has not applied for these loans and they are available to her then this could cause issues. I don't understand how you've been getting £900+ UC per month ?

huckster

Yes it would be the £6,776 if you live elsewhere amount that would be considered.