Under 19, Estranged from Parents, Full Time Education - No support??

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Trigle
Trigle Posts: 7 Forumite
in Student MoneySaving
Hello there,

I have a friend who has a problem, she doesn't live with her parents, they cant afford to support her since they broke up and she has been independent from them for around 2 years.

She has just started full-time further education and is having difficulty getting support with maintenance and I'm asking here to find out what options we have.

I have determined she's definitely entitled to EMA but what other support could she get? She's trying for Income Support but they are hassling her to prove her estranged from family situation.

Hope someone can help, shes a really sweet girl who needs a break right now!
«13

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  • bestpud
    bestpud Posts: 11,048 Forumite
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    Won't either of her parents say they are unable to keep her?

    Other than that, where has she been living these past two years?

    Does she have a rent book she can show them, or evidence she has been paying bills, and/or earning enough to keep herself?
  • Indie_Kid
    Indie_Kid Posts: 23,077 Forumite
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    If she gets income support, she'll get full housing benefit for her area. Because she's a full time student, she won't have to pay council tax. The place where she's doing her course should be able to give her a letter confirming her student status if required.

    The money and welfare (or whatever they call themselves now) services at college/6th form should be able to help or point her in the right direction.
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  • student_advisor
    student_advisor Posts: 538 Forumite
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    If a young person is estranged from their parents, they should be able to claim income support, EMA & housing benefit.

    They will only get EMA if they also get income support.

    For a student to claim estrangement, a student needs to be able to show that the relationship with their parents has broken down to the point where it is impossible for them to live with them any more. This only has to be one-sided i.e. the jobcentre should take the student's word.

    The young person will need to see a connexions intensive personal advisor, they may be available from the college, or elsewhere - ask at student services for more info on how to see this person.

    In our area we have an under 18s advisor at the jobcentre who deals with all young people in education. This is not the same all over the country, but connexions will be able to advise on this in your area.

    At our college, we would offer a student in that position meal vouchers, travel passes and emergency cash as necessary.
  • student_advisor
    student_advisor Posts: 538 Forumite
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    Trigle wrote: »
    She's trying for Income Support but they are hassling her to prove her estranged from family situation.

    She doesn't need to "prove" estrangement, they must take her word for it unless they have reason to think that she is lying. This is why it it is helpful to have a connexions advisor present.

    It does not need to be corroborated by her parents, though they often ring parents for verification.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
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    Nobody's asked the crucial question - how old is your friend?
  • John38_2
    John38_2 Posts: 121 Forumite
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    Oldernotwiser wrote: »
    Nobody's asked the crucial question - how old is your friend?
    Makes no difference whether she's 16, 17, 18, or 19. The title says she's under 19, and therefore because she is in full time education, she is entitled to Income Support provided she meets the criteria for estrangement.

    If she applies by phone, they will take her details and an under 18's advisor from the JCP will usually phone up back with an interview time and date. There, she will fill in an Income Support application form and provide proof of ID. They will ask personal questions about the family situation, and ask whether they are allowed to contact parents to confirm the situation. Even if you say no, they still have to take your word for it, unless you're situation is "inherently improbable or self contradictory", in which case, they might request to speak to your GP or Teachers instead of your parents.

    Once shes on IS, she'll get £30 EMA and full rate LHA for a 1 bed 'lodgings'.

    For what its worth, I've found Connexions staff utterly useless in knowing the benefit procedure for cases like this.
  • John38_2
    John38_2 Posts: 121 Forumite
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    student_advisor wrote: »
    She doesn't need to "prove" estrangement, they must take her word for it unless they have reason to think that she is lying. This is why it it is helpful to have a connexions advisor present.

    It does not need to be corroborated by her parents, though they often ring parents for verification.
    She does need to provide proof she is estranged from her parents. This can be as simple as a statement saying "We don't get on, they kicked me out, and dont want me back. I have no where else to go".

    You are correct in that the evidence provided by the young person must automatically be believed unless it is inherently improbable or self contradictory.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
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    John38 wrote: »
    Makes no difference whether she's 16, 17, 18, or 19. The title says she's under 19, and therefore because she is in full time education, she is entitled to Income Support provided she meets the criteria for estrangement.
    Sorry, I missed the title.

    For what its worth, I've found Connexions staff utterly useless in knowing the benefit procedure for cases like this.

    It's not really the role of Connexions Advisers to be experts on benefits but to signpost clients to the people who are.
  • John38_2
    John38_2 Posts: 121 Forumite
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    Correct, but in my case, a Connexions advisor told me that no benefits were available and that if I wanted to complete my studies, I'd have to find a full time job to pay for my rent, food, bills, etc, and that she had seen a few other students in my position manage OK juggling several evening & weekend jobs and a full time college course on top of that.

    I repeatedly said that surely some kind of Government help or benefits are available, but she said point blank there weren't.

    Good job I went on the internet and checked for myself really!!
  • moiramber
    moiramber Posts: 186 Forumite
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    My partner is in his 3rd year of uni and has received no financial support from his family this whole time. Because he was under 25 he isn't classed as an adult so is only this year getting a maintenance grant. I assumed this was correct?
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