Lone Parent Advice on help available?

Oldernotwiser

Don't forget that most of the advice you've received concerns funding at HE level and will be applicable when you're studying for your HNC, if you're doing it full time. Funding for your National Certificate is completely different although you may be able to get a small amount of help with childcare and travelling expenses. Because one course is further education and the other is higher education the funding and your financial situation will be completely different.

lilacclaire

Hi, been to the Jobcentre and spoke to Lone Parent Advisor.

For the NC, I will go back onto Income Support and get Child tax credit and housing benefit (exempt from council tax)

Apparantly if the college does not pay my childcare expenses (this one may not as it provides a nursery) then the jobcentre has a discretionary fund and they will pay 100% of my childcare costs.

I will also get £15 p/w extra on top of IS to help with 'incidental' expenses.

The college will pay my travel expenses (cheapest method).

For the HNC, I need to take out student loans etc and apparantly this will come to about the same amount as I would get on benefits but obviously I will need to budget this wisely.

The Lone Parent Advisor said they are now thinking of making the student loans payable on a monthly basis as people were getting into financial difficulty getting a big lump sum in one go.