help! independent student? £7500?

Ring back and ask someone else

Reply 3

OP

is the £7500 limit true? is it cumulative over the 3 years? or can it be less for some years more than others as long as it totals the same?

general help.

Reply 4

MaddyGee

9

piixie

I've supported myself for well over 3 years.. working and benefits.

Lol.

Reply 5

OP

only benefits whilst at college last year. problem? I've worked since leaving school.

Reply 6

OP

ok just managed to find three p60s

2003-2004 - £5968.99
2004-2005 - £5434.90
2005-2006 - £11842.05

This makes over £7,500 per year when averaged out.. anyone know if this is sufficient.
Only helpful comments please.

Reply 7

SumTingWong

piixie

ok thoroughly confused.. I've supported myself for well over 3 years.. working and benefits.. I sent in letters from employers/ benefits stating how much I have earned / received.

I sent these in early June but have since got rid of my internet so only just checked my on line application at my parents.. It states employment proof not received but that my passport form, which I sent along with the letters, has.

I've just spoke to two guys from student finance the first one put me on hold after I explained my problem then came back and said 'what was it you wanted again?' all hope was lost from here - It ended in him telling me to send in P60 from the last 3 years. I don't have them from the last 3 years just two from '05 and '06 with earnings of £12000 and £6000, while on benefits you don't receive p60s so I don't have any more.

Rang back to explain this and the rather rude / impatient male who answered said that you must earn £7500 per year to qualify as independent.. ? I've not seen this anywhere on their website told him this to which he replied it is.. just spent over an hour searching again .. It's not.

completely confused now.. any help would be greatly appreciated!!

The 3 years evidence of self-supporting can be any three years and the three years do not have to be consecutive years.

Also, the advised minimum to be considered is 7500, but that is advised. Of course if you say that you havent been paid over 3000 any year then its unlikely to get you support. However if you earned between 4000 - 7500 then the assessment team can use discretion to offer support as an independent student. However you have to explain how you supported yourself on income less than 7500.

Reply 8

coolmushroom

Pfft Indian call centres :frown:

Reply 9

SumTingWong

coolmushroom

Pfft Indian call centres :frown:

sfe doesnt have any call centres based in india

Reply 10

I have heard the £7500 limit mentioned but only on this site. I'm trying to prove the same thing, some years only earned a couple of thousand and others £20000+.....lets hope it's averaged. It's ridiculously hard to prove you are independent, I personally think if you are over 22 (instead of 25) it should be automatic - who sponges off their parents til they're 25????

Just send off your evidence - if you've claimed benefits that counts too, can you get proof of that? Though this in itself annoys me - after I graduated it took me 4 months to find a job and I borrowed money from family and maxed out my overdraft rather than claim JSA, a decision now regret only because that doesn't count as supporting myself, yet claiming free money from the government does. (I'm not trying to start an arguement about people on benefits I do understand for some people it's a necessity.)

Reply 11

OP

yeah 22 for sure! ridiculous I'll be 25 one month after starting too so I'd just get it then anyway! silly system.

fingers crossed they average it out!

I've already sent them proof of benefits as well as letters from all employees .. apparently this wasn't enough so going to post those three p60s tomorrow too.

good luck with yours :smile:

Reply 12

MaddyGee

9

piixie

only benefits whilst at college last year. problem? I've worked since leaving school.

I'm assuming this was directed at me, and I wasn't judging you. I just found it amusing the choice of your words. It was a joke.

I've worked since I was 15, and I'll be entirely financially independent at university, do I get a pat on the back too? :biggrin:

Reply 13

Megaross

16

I've worked since I was 12. Never taken a dime more than food and shelter off my rents. Pretty gutting how student finance thinks I do.

I'll be independant at uni, never moving back home if I can help it.

Reply 14

To be honest, if your parents were/are feeding and letting you live at home they kind of are supporting you...hense student finance expecting them to continue to do so. My brother always used to whine at my Dad that he gave me "so much" money when I was at uni (he chose not to go - and lived at home rent free until he was 20!!) and my Dad always pointed out he put a roof over my head, just as he did my brothers. My Dad literally gave me enough for my accomodation at uni, nothing more.

Reply 15

at0micsmurf

5

The funny thing is I'm living at home and my parents buy my food and pay all the bills and I give them £20 a week, but because I'm 25 I get the full grant/loan without needing to provide their income or provide my income for 3 years.

Reply 16

Funny huh? No, it shows how much of a ****ing joke the whole system is. You wouldn't be laughing if you were 23, living with your partner who earns £24000 and entitled to a grand total of £3500 LOAN to live off for a year.

Reply 17

at0micsmurf

5

If your partner earns that much why can't she/he support you then? Not much of a partner if they'd let you starve

Reply 18

flipshot

13

I think they have to make it 25 as at 22 more students would likely put off uni for a couple of years just so they could get full funding, where as at 25 someone is unlikely to put uni off for 7 years just to get more money.

Reply 19