Fulltime study and benefits as a lone parent help please?

trini_honey

I'm still waiting for my appointment with my Lone parent advisor at the Jobcentre. Untill then can you(anyone) please clarify a few things, if you can? I kinda wished I'd spoken to my advisor before i went and enrolled. I didn't consider every aspect of my situation beforehand.

My situation:
I'm an unempolyed 26yr old single parent with 2 kids (7yrs & 5yrs). I'm in receipt of IS. And I get CTC. I enrolled in college to do a NVQ. It's a full time course.

My concerns:
Will I still get Housinig benefit? And Council tax benefit? (I read that this is affected if I'm a student, and it say I may get help but not clear on what this implies, i.e what % will be covered).

I enrolled yesterday (30/08) but my course doesn't start till 31/10. I have to and am going to, inform the HB and CT unit, that I'm starting college, but will they adjust my account from the day I enrolled or the day I start my course.

I'm going to apply for assistance from college Access Fund. Will I be awarded enough to cover costs of books and materials for my course, and approximately 2-3 hrs a day of child care costs, and other possible expenses?

hurricanewyn

Your HB & CTB will be affected from the date that your course starts, not from the date that yout enrol. If you stay in receipt of Income Support while your doing your course, your HB/CTB should remain unchanged, but if not and you're getting a student loan, grants or a bursary that will be taken into account as income.

If you're doing an Access course, your Income Support should be the same and so your HB & CTB will be unchanged. I'm not sure how the Access Fund works.

It just depends on how you'll be supporting yourself while your doing the course.

Well done for going back to college though - it's something I'm trying to work the courage up for!