Help Please

Gemmzie

Guys, I'm stuck, I really need some advice. Having a major dilemma...

At the moment I earn about £285 a month and get my student loans/grants of £1556 each October, January and April. My outgoings are £280 a month.
The first lot of student money was lent to my brother, the second lot paid for my car accident and £300 is saved for car servicing (can't afford to save for it monthly) and the next lot I plan to lend to my parents. I also pay £150 monthly rent out of this money (I owe rent again middle of May). So there's no spare there either.

Now, as some of you might know, I've been sick but I think I've been kidding myself about how sick I actually am. I'm definitely not fit for work but I don't get SSP (earnings too low) so I'm working and in agony.
I've spoken to uni as I've missed three weeks now and they are saying I should consider suspending my studies. Not entirely sure what this entails but I've passed the first half of the year, I think. So it'll probably mean fitting in the work next year as they said it needn't put me a whole year behind. I'm the youngest on the course anyway so in that way repeating isn't an issue.

The issue is money and now. If I'm not working, I get nowt, if I'm not at uni - how do I find £1500-odd to keep me going until October?

ZTD

First of all: :grouphug:

What are your outgoings for?

Have you applied to your University's hardship fund?

Has your local NUS got anything similar?

Puzzledbubbles

Hi Gemmzie,

Im only a newbie so i guess there will be some old hats along in a min to help you out.

After going through the whole uni money thing i would say go to your Welfare officer and see what they can do.

They really are the most helpful people on earth and will be able to advise about anything and everything. Including any financial help the uni can give you.

They should also be able to advise on SSP and anything else that can help out.

They will also be able to explain what it means for your course, some unis force you to repeat the year rather than accepting half a years grades.

BUT if they do this you are STILL able to get the student loan for the extra year, the SL company factor in that so many students will repeat a year and therefore as long as you inform them asap that you need to repeat you should still be fine for that final year.

I hope this helps, if you arent happy about talking to a welfare officer i would say your best bet after that may be a fav lecturer for the course info and then the SL company themselves (their website has improved since i left uni and actually has info on it now)

Puzzled

firepoppy

I'd like to know about this too as I'm sort of in a similarish situation. I'm currently working part time and get £260 a minth. I've been at college studying but I've missed a lot and am considering dropping out until next September and getting another part time job.

My boyfriend is doing a degree and is in his second year. He lives on his bursaries and loan so he doesn't work. He's also missed a lot of work due to his depression. He's in the second year and is going to restart the year in September. If he gets sick notes from the doctor will he qualify for incapacity benefit?

His next loan payment should be after Easter but I don't think he'll get it as he's not going in anymore until September.

I don't know what we'll do as he uses the loan to pay the rent then I use my wages to pay for the other bills and I'm struggling myself getting by anyway.

I'm going to look for a second part time job but does anyone know if my boyfriend will qualify for any benefits please?

Gemmzie

ZTD wrote: »

First of all: :grouphug:

What are your outgoings for? SOA below

Have you applied to your University's hardship fund? No, not sure if 1) I can get it if I have to suspend studies and 2) if they pay it because your parents are skint

Has your local NUS got anything similar? They do but the next appointment is two weeks away and I'd have to travel to go to it - can't drive at the moment

Outgoing
Contact Lenses - £22
Health Insurance - £22
Laptop Insurance - £12.99
O2 - £19.99
DVD Rental - £14.99
Car Insurance - £30
Car Tax - £10.50
Petrol - £60+
CC (3 payments left) - £50
Car Repairs - £20 (try if possible)
Clothes - £20 (try if possible)
Total = £242.47

Add in the extra petrol and a few prescriptions (had 4 this month) and parking and it's gone

In_Search_Of_Me

Soory youre poorly - what has GP said is prob the first starting point...Sorry G but a confused about a couple of things...dont understand why you are lending family money when you have so little yourself? What is bro doing about paying you back? If you defer do you have to pay funds back and would be you be eligible for any bens? Do your college have any hardship funds avail for circumstance such as these? Sorry lots of questions I realise ...hope you sort it but most importantly hope you feel better soon

Gemmzie

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Soory youre poorly - what has GP said is prob the first starting point...Sorry G but a confused about a couple of things...dont understand why you are lending family money when you have so little yourself? What is bro doing about paying you back? If you defer do you have to pay funds back and would be you be eligible for any bens? Do your college have any hardship funds avail for circumstance such as these? Sorry lots of questions I realise ...hope you sort it but most importantly hope you feel better soon

I haven't seen my GP in ages, it's impossible to make an appointment with a specific doctor :mad: . I'm under the care of the hospital at the moment as I've been rushed in twice now.

I'm lending my parents money as they are in the financial poop and they'll pay me back instead of a 29.9% CC.
My brother is paying me back as fast as he can. The original plan means he'd been paid up by November this year.
I don't really know, I'm trying to find out re: paying back overdraft (if so, I'm screwed). But the loans etc, not until I earn £15k.
Don't know about benefits or hardship - I think I need to go ask my old boss, she's a CAB advisor type thing for young people as benefit rules are so complicated for under 25s.

postingalwaysposting

gem, didnt want to read and run ~ so sorry i have no 'proper' advice... take care

ZTD

Apply to your university. You'll know if they pay out for someone in your circumstances when the cheque arrives.

Gemmzie wrote: »

Outgoing
Contact Lenses - £22

You not got glasses...

Gemmzie wrote: »

Health Insurance - £22

Is this paying out now?

Gemmzie wrote: »

O2 - £19.99

Are you tied into this?

Gemmzie wrote: »

DVD Rental - £14.99

Are you getting good value for money from this?

Gemmzie wrote: »

Car Insurance - £30
Car Tax - £10.50
Petrol - £60+

Are you using your car right now if you can't drive?

Gemmzie wrote: »

Add in the extra petrol and a few prescriptions (had 4 this month) and parking and it's gone

Get a prescription "season ticket". It'll work out cheaper and you can claim for prescriptions you've already paid for.

firepoppy

Hi Gemmzie I hope you're feeling better soon.

You shouldn't have to pay back your pverdraft until you graduate, unless you drop out of your course completely in which case ou should tell your bank and they'll charge you for it but a lot of people don't tell the bank and keep the interest free overdraft until they are supposed to have graduated.

It's a good idea to speak to someone from the CAB. I'm trying to get my boyfriend to go.

If you are going to be getting lot of perscriptions you can save money by getting a pre-pay certificate which is a set amount for a year. I don't remember if you pay the whole amount at once or a monthly amount. Perhaps you might qualify for free perscriptions?

Are your family paying you back a set amount of money each month? Could you use this to live on?

Gemmzie

ZTD wrote: »

Apply to your university. You'll know if they pay out for someone in your circumstances when the cheque arrives.

You not got glasses...
Can't wear them, wrong prescription and cause headaches.

Is this paying out now?
It should be, I just need for the drs to decide which consultant I need to belong to

Are you tied into this?
The £15 yes, the £4.99 is insurance, been trying to cancel it for ages - they are ignoring me


Are you getting good value for money from this?
Yeah, it's my only form of entertainment, sad isn't it


Are you using your car right now if you can't drive?
It's used to drive me into work, wouldn't be fair to mum otherwise. My petrol this month was a lot less but as were my wages due to sickness


Get a prescription "season ticket". It'll work out cheaper and you can claim for prescriptions you've already paid for.

I need to do this, since they've ignored my HC2 application.