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What's classed as income for housing benefit purposes
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NewLifeAhead_2
Posts: 333 Forumite
Please help :-(
I'm in a right mess with my housing benefit. Basically they've told me they're classing me as having £160 a week income from student finance. I always thought it was only the student loan that gets classed as income, not the grants. But my student loan only equates to approximately £60 a week. I can't even get the figure they've got by adding on parents learning allowance or adult dependant grant .
They've cut my housing benefit by £80 a month because of this , and I already have to top it up by £60 a month as it is.
If anyone could confirm what is actually allowed to be classed as income it would be a great help !
Thanks In advance .
I'm in a right mess with my housing benefit. Basically they've told me they're classing me as having £160 a week income from student finance. I always thought it was only the student loan that gets classed as income, not the grants. But my student loan only equates to approximately £60 a week. I can't even get the figure they've got by adding on parents learning allowance or adult dependant grant .
They've cut my housing benefit by £80 a month because of this , and I already have to top it up by £60 a month as it is.
If anyone could confirm what is actually allowed to be classed as income it would be a great help !
Thanks In advance .
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Comments
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NewLifeAhead wrote: »Please help :-(
I'm in a right mess with my housing benefit. Basically they've told me they're classing me as having £160 a week income from student finance. I always thought it was only the student loan that gets classed as income, not the grants. But my student loan only equates to approximately £60 a week. I can't even get the figure they've got by adding on parents learning allowance or adult dependant grant .
They've cut my housing benefit by £80 a month because of this , and I already have to top it up by £60 a month as it is.
If anyone could confirm what is actually allowed to be classed as income it would be a great help !
Thanks In advance .
Why do you only get £3,000 student loan?0 -
"What student income is used when calculating my benefits
Most grants are disregarded when calculating your benefits, but the Maintenance
Grant, Social Work Bursary and Adult Dependents’ Grant are used in the
calculation. Some of your Maintenance Loan and the following funding and
grants are disregarded when your benefit entitlement is worked out:
Special Support Grant
Parents' Learning Allowance
Childcare Grant
Tuition Fee Loan
A fixed amount for books and equipment
A fixed amount for travel
£10 per week, which is normally set against the Maintenance Loan
Most Solent Access Fund payments
Any allowance to meet extra expenses because you’re a student with
disabilities (e.g. Disabled Students Allowances) "
https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/documents/students-and-benefits.pdf0 -
Because it's reduced because of the grant I receive (Welsh government learning grant), when I give evidence of housing benefit ill get the special support grant which won't reduce the loan, but even then the full loan amount comes to £95 a week so it still isn't right :-(0
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Thanks missbiggles , so am I right in thinking they're using maintenance loan plus adult dependant grant as income ? That still only equates to £113 a week. I'm going to have to ring housing benefit again , they've definitely got something wrong here !
Thanks for your help all.0 -
NewLifeAhead wrote: »Because it's reduced because of the grant I receive (Welsh government learning grant), when I give evidence of housing benefit ill get the special support grant which won't reduce the loan, but even then the full loan amount comes to £95 a week so it still isn't right :-(
Sorry, you didn't say you were in Wales...
Not sure what you mean by the bolded bit.0 -
I agree its a pain, and from what I've heard it can vary somewhat from council to council - which, if true, surely isnt fair!
My HB claim lists Student Loan & Parents Learning Allowance in the income section, but I have a large Income Disregards, so some of it may go back out in there.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
Missbiggles - sorry let me explain - I qualify for the Welsh government learning grant , which reduces my maintenance loan by a certain amount. The special support grant , which is for people who have what they call special circumstances such as a disability or on certain benefits. So I have to provide proof that I receive housing benefit after my course start date before I qualify for the special support grant.
Hopefully this explains it :-)0
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