Student finance say they wont backdate special support grant!

Tickledpinkies

I'm so bloody annoyed its unbelievable.

So I only found out I was eligible for the special support grant a month ago by my uni welfare advisor. Apparently she's an expert with this and she advised me that I will be able to get backdated. I'm not sure if its a back dating of the grant, or I was entitled to more loan (1.5k) for the past 2 years.

I remembered the 9 month rule and asked my adviser about it and she said it shouldn't be a problem. I also double checked with a Student Finance England advisor and she said no at first. However, when I told her I had already done my general application for the previous years, she said that was fine and I'd get back dated as the 9 month rule applies to the general application.

FFwrd 2 weeks. I ask another adviser and she calls head office and they say they can't back date because I didn't tick the box saying I think I may be eligible. :angry:

Every adviser seems to have completely different info and tells me different waiting times. Considering making a complaint.

Anyone else noticed complete inconsistency in information?

Reply 1

Taiko

Your advisor is wrong on this, I'm afraid. Paragraph 10 of The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009 states:

10.—(1) The general rule is that the application must reach the Secretary of State no later than the end of the ninth month of the academic year in respect of which it is submitted.(

2) The general rule does not apply where—

(a)one of the events listed in regulation 18 occurs after the first day of the academic year in respect of which the applicant is applying for support, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State within a period of nine months beginning with the day on which the relevant event occurred;

(b)the applicant is making a separate application for a fee loan, a fee contribution loan, a loan for living costs or a college fee loan or is applying for an additional amount of fee loan under regulation 24(4) or (10), an additional amount of fee contribution loan under regulation 35(5), an additional amount of loan for living costs under regulation 86(3) or an additional amount of college fee loan under regulation 94 in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates;

(c)the applicant is applying to borrow an additional amount of fee contribution loan under regulation 35(3), an additional amount of loan for living costs or an additional amount of long courses loan under regulation 86(1), in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates or within a period of one month beginning with the day on which the applicant receives notice of the increased maximum amount, whichever is the later;

(d)the applicant is applying for the disabled students’ allowance, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State as soon as is reasonably practicable; or

(e)the Secretary of State considers that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than such date as the Secretary of State specifies.

For information, the events in Regulation are:

18. The events are—

(a)the student’s course becomes a designated course;
(b)the student or the student’s spouse, civil partner or parent is recognised as a refugee or becomes a person with leave to enter or remain;
(c)a state accedes to the European Community where the student is a national of that state or a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of a national of that state;
(d)the student becomes a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of an EC national;
(e)the student acquires the right of permanent residence;
(f)the student becomes the child of a Turkish worker;
(g)the student becomes a person described in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 1; or(
h)the student becomes the child of a Swiss national.

Doesn't meet those criteria, and so the 9 month rule does apply. However, SFE do have discretion to backdate payments, and I feel that's probably what your advisor meant. In this case, SFE have chosen not to apply this to your application, which is perfectly acceptable.

Not the news you were probably looking for, but SFE do seem to have this one correct.

Reply 2

Tickledpinkies

Original post by Taiko

Your advisor is wrong on this, I'm afraid. Paragraph 10 of The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009 states:

For information, the events in Regulation are:

Doesn't meet those criteria, and so the 9 month rule does apply. However, SFE do have discretion to backdate payments, and I feel that's probably what your advisor meant. In this case, SFE have chosen not to apply this to your application, which is perfectly acceptable.

Not the news you were probably looking for, but SFE do seem to have this one correct.

Thanks for this, how come the advisors don't seem to know as much as you :smile:

Reply 3

Taiko

I trained for years, and read the regulations fully and repeatedly. Others don't seem to do this. Which university advised you?

Reply 4

Tickledpinkies

The University of York and this welfare officer is apparently very good.

I haven't got an official reply yet as my assessment hasn't been completed, but the adviser went off to ask someone.

Reply 5

MovingOn

Original post by Taiko

Sorry to bump the thread, but does this mean SFE will not backdate the Special Support Grant for the academic year 2010-2011? I have been on the phone to them this morning and it appears they completely misinformed me last year and I should have been paid the SSG after all.

Reply 6

Tickledpinkies

UPDATE: I got back dated :biggrin:

!! I'm so sick of the inconsistency of the customer services. I dont blame them but as a person with mental health problems it was horrible being messed around

I did write them a complaint aswell shortly after this thread so I dont know if that had anything to do with it.

Reply 7

MovingOn

Original post by Tickledpinkies

UPDATE: I got back dated :biggrin:

Glad to hear you got it sorted :smile:

It is really hard being given conflicting advice when you have a mental health disorder too, I spend days worrying about things most people don't give a second thought about!

Which academic year was your backdated payment in relation to? I've today found out they wrongly advised me about the SSG last year (2010-2011) and I was eligible, I'm wondering if I can try and appeal.

Reply 8

Tickledpinkies

I got backdated for my first year at uni (2010-2011). I definitely think you should appeal. Have you actually sent them a letter yet asking to be reassessed. Thats what I did. You can put the details of what happened in that and your proof of entitlement.