[shelleylu]

Hi everyone.

I have been accepted on to a degree course, but I have 2 children and need help with funding the childcare. I dont need lots, as the course only runs 2 days a week, but I thought I would be entitled to some help.

Apparently not! Student finance wrote to me and told me I wouldnt be eligible for any extra help, apart from my loan for the fee's due to my partners income - which is £20.000, (although we will get child tax credit)

Its not a great deal of money with just one income, and a mortgage and all the other things to pay.

Can anyone advice whether they recieve any extra help?

[jami74]

Can't you apply for the childcare part of tax credits?

[shelleylu]

(Original post by jami74)
Can't you apply for the childcare part of tax credits?

Hiya,

Thanks for replying. They said I am not entitled to them, as technically I am not working, and can therefore look after the children - totally disregarded the fact I'm a student...

[edjunkie]

If your university has any childcare provision that would be suitable for you, check if they have means based fees.

[moonkatie]

(Original post by shelleylu)
Hiya,

Thanks for replying. They said I am not entitled to them, as technically I am not working, and can therefore look after the children - totally disregarded the fact I'm a student...

Can your partner not apply for working tax credits in his name as he is the one in work?

[jami74]

(Original post by moonkatie)
Can your partner not apply for working tax credits in his name as he is the one in work?

I wondered about this, I thought they combined the total working hours of both partners to work out if you are eligible for things like that.

Won't you get the maintenance loan/grant from student finance? I thought if your income was under £25k you got extra help. What about Parents Learning Allowance? I'm not sure what the criteria is for that but I forgot to tick that box first time I applied because I thought it would be automatic because I have children but it isn't.

Sorry if I'm not much help.

[redmel1621]

Hi shelleylu

Sorry to hear your dilemma!

It's a case of the middle roaders being stuffed again isn't? If your husband earnt more you would be fine or alternatively if he was out of work you would get help with childcare.

Just to let others know, no her husband can't claim through tax credits as both parents have to be working in order to meet their criteria

I don't think 20 000 is a very high income to be refused on though, are you able to phone them and clarify the income threshold for eligibility?
Childminders are usually a cheaper option and can sometimes be more flexible so you could maybe keep costs dow by just using them when in attendance at uni.

Hope you manage to sort something out.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100

[moonkatie]

Thanks for clarifying redmel1621.


The other possible source of funding will be the University that you'll be attending. Do they have a childcare officer or similar that you could talk to?

Best of luck.

[redmel1621]

I have just re-read your post OP and I might be wrong here, but I was pretty sure the maintenance loan is non-means tested, so why aren't you getting that too?

You should definitely get the tuition fee loan and maintenance loan? Also slc take into account mortgage payments and life ins payments (i think it is) when working out any means tested loans/grants.

It might be worthwile ringing them to get some clarification on the award they have given you and also ring the student finance section of the university you will be attending, before they break for summer.




This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-P1000

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by redmel1621)
I have just re-read your post OP and I might be wrong here, but I was pretty sure the maintenance loan is non-means tested, so why aren't you getting that too?

You should definitely get the tuition fee loan and maintenance loan? Also slc take into account mortgage payments and life ins payments (i think it is) when working out any means tested loans/grants.

It might be worthwile ringing them to get some clarification on the award they have given you and also ring the student finance section of the university you will be attending, before they break for summer.




This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-P1000

The maintenance loan is means tested, but a partners income of 20K should mean the individual gets more than the minimum. If your partner earned 1 million per year you would still get a 3.5K maintenance loan.

When assessing partners income for the maintenance loan and maintenance grant no allowance is made for mortgage payments, or life insurance payments, only pension stuff. They will reduce his gross income by any such pension contributions and also reduce it by 1130 pounds for each dependent child you have, the result is termed the residual income and it is this figure that is used to assess your entitlement.

The husbands income of 20K means the student cannot claim an adult dependant grant for the husband, even if the student is giving up work. For an adult dependent grant, mortage, credit agreements and bills and life insurance are taken into account.

Learning parent allowance is means tested ala the dependent adult grant.

However if the residual (see above) household income is less than 25K p.a. then you should receive a full maintenance grant, and the total of maintenance grant and loan should be circa 7.1K p.a.

I personally cannot understand how the OP is being told your not eligable if the husband only earns 20K p.a gross. Unless you were working back in 2011 and your husband supplied a household income statement which included your income and included the child tax credits in the totals, which he should not have.

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by shelleylu)
Hi everyone.

I have been accepted on to a degree course, but I have 2 children and need help with funding the childcare. I dont need lots, as the course only runs 2 days a week, but I thought I would be entitled to some help.

Apparently not! Student finance wrote to me and told me I wouldnt be eligible for any extra help, apart from my loan for the fee's due to my partners income - which is £20.000, (although we will get child tax credit)

Its not a great deal of money with just one income, and a mortgage and all the other things to pay.

Can anyone advice whether they recieve any extra help?

I just reread this.

2 days per week is part-time, there is no maintenance support for part-time students, only fee loans. Hence your eligability for the maintenance loan has nothing to do with your partners income. His income probably does impact your eligability for childcare support, but I am surprised it is given he is only on 20k p.a.

[Ham22]

Jesus Christ....why don't you get a smaller mortgage? why do you think you are entitled to have your lifestyle maintained by tax payers when you could easily cut back.

[Soule]

(Original post by evening sunrise)
I just reread this.

2 days per week is part-time, there is no maintenance support for part-time students, only fee loans. Hence your eligability for the maintenance loan has nothing to do with your partners income. His income probably does impact your eligability for childcare support, but I am surprised it is given he is only on 20k p.a.

Not necessarily part time, it would depend on how the university define it. Others on my course will only need to be in uni for a couple of days a week, but it is still defined as a full time degree course.

If it is defined as part time, you would be correct though.

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by Soule)
Not necessarily part time, it would depend on how the university define it. Others on my course will only need to be in uni for a couple of days a week, but it is still defined as a full time degree course.

If it is defined as part time, you would be correct though.

Indeed, fulltime at a further ed college is actually only 3.5 days per week teaching. Some undergraduate courses have less than 10 hours contact time per week yet are of course fulltime.

However the statement was it only runs 2 days per week, rather than I only have 2 days of contact when I need child care, that statement plus the fact zero funding, other than tuition fee loans, is being provided to the OP, despite a residual house hold income of less than 20k pa, enables one to deduce that the course is parttime.

(Assuming the data provided in the OP regarding the funding eligability is correct.)

The student, with two kids, would be eligable for full loan and a maintenance grant and learning parent allowance even if their husband earned 27260 p.a. if on a fulltime course and not receiving other unearned income from investments and property rental. The child tax credits and child allowance are not included in the calculation.

[Soule]

(Original post by evening sunrise)
Indeed, fulltime at a further ed college is actually only 3.5 days per week teaching. Some undergraduate courses have less than 10 hours contact time per week yet are of course fulltime.

However the statement was it only runs 2 days per week, rather than I only have 2 days of contact when I need child care, that statement plus the fact zero funding, other than tuition fee loans, is being provided to the OP, despite a residual house hold income of less than 20k pa, enables one to deduce that the course is parttime.

(Assuming the data provided in the OP regarding the funding eligability is correct.)

The student, with two kids, would be eligable for full loan and a maintenance grant and learning parent allowance even if their husband earned 27260 p.a. if on a fulltime course and not receiving other unearned income from investments and property rental. The child tax credits and child allowance are not included in the calculation.

The only reason I corrected it (as it is all assumption until op can return and clarify) is that student finance can get it wrong, and whilst it may indeed be part time, in which case the non-eligibility makes perfect sense, there is a small chance that it is student finance that have made the error. A lot of people this year have been quoted incorrectly online as not being eligible for the full tuition fees, there could also be an error in completion on the form. I just felt it better to suggest the possibility that OP may still be going to a full time course.

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by Soule)
that student finance can get it wrong

Well if I could give you a 1000 green thumbs for that one, I would

I have been in situations where conflicting advice is given and I have quoted back to them, well its now 3 : 2 for opinion A etc etc, at the end of that call it is 3:3 2 days later it went to 3:4 for opinion B and round and round we went.

I found going through the legislation (2011) on the national archive very useful.....as I could ask for opinions or decisions to be traced back to the relevant clauses and definitions. It was painful but mine is all sorted and approved now.

[redmel1621]

(Original post by evening sunrise)
The maintenance loan is means tested, but a partners income of 20K should mean the individual gets more than the minimum. If your partner earned 1 million per year you would still get a 3.5K maintenance loan.

When assessing partners income for the maintenance loan and maintenance grant no allowance is made for mortgage payments, or life insurance payments, only pension stuff. They will reduce his gross income by any such pension contributions and also reduce it by 1130 pounds for each dependent child you have, the result is termed the residual income and it is this figure that is used to assess your entitlement.

The husbands income of 20K means the student cannot claim an adult dependant grant for the husband, even if the student is giving up work. For an adult dependent grant, mortage, credit agreements and bills and life insurance are taken into account.

Learning parent allowance is means tested ala the dependent adult grant.

However if the residual (see above) household income is less than 25K p.a. then you should receive a full maintenance grant, and the total of maintenance grant and loan should be circa 7.1K p.a.

I personally cannot understand how the OP is being told your not eligable if the husband only earns 20K p.a gross. Unless you were working back in 2011 and your husband supplied a household income statement which included your income and included the child tax credits in the totals, which he should not have.

I was told allowances were made for mortgage or rent payments, and indeed, we were asked to provide details or our monthly rent payments?

As agreed though, they do not always give out correct informationa and as I said above I suggest the OP contacts them again x

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by redmel1621)
I was told allowances were made for mortgage or rent payments, and indeed, we were asked to provide details or our monthly rent payments?

As agreed though, they do not always give out correct informationa and as I said above I suggest the OP contacts them again x

You do provide that information to support grant applications such as Dependent Adult grant or learning parent allowance and these are considered for those grants.

They do not consider mortage and rent etc for the main loan and maintenance grant. They take gross household income, take off qualifying pension contributions, and 1130 for each child you have. The result is termed the residual income, then the calculation is performed against that.

[redmel1621]

(Original post by evening sunrise)
You do provide that information to support grant applications such as Dependent Adult grant or learning parent allowance and these are considered for those grants.

They do not consider mortage and rent etc for the main loan and maintenance grant. They take gross household income, take off qualifying pension contributions, and 1130 for each child you have. The result is termed the residual income, then the calculation is performed against that.

That will be it I applied for those grants.

Sorry OP, I hope they have it wrong and you are able to get additional support.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-P1000

[shelleylu]

(Original post by Ham22)
Jesus Christ....why don't you get a smaller mortgage? why do you think you are entitled to have your lifestyle maintained by tax payers when you could easily cut back.

(Original post by evening sunrise)
You do provide that information to support grant applications such as Dependent Adult grant or learning parent allowance and these are considered for those grants.

They do not consider mortage and rent etc for the main loan and maintenance grant. They take gross household income, take off qualifying pension contributions, and 1130 for each child you have. The result is termed the residual income, then the calculation is performed against that.

(Original post by redmel1621)
That will be it I applied for those grants.

Sorry OP, I hope they have it wrong and you are able to get additional support.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-P1000

Many thanks to redmel1621, evening sunrise, soule, and anyone else who commented and tried to help with my situation. Unfortunately, I didnt recieve notifications that you had replied - and only just found these posts.

Just for the record - it IS a fulltime course! I had given all of my finances correctly, and from the info you have given me - can only presume that SFE have made an error. I will give them a ring today.

A quick note to Ham22 - What a complete waste of space you truely are. How do you know what my mortgage payments are? I have paid tax in full-time jobs since I left school, and now I would like a bit of extra assistance for childcare while I better mine and my childrens lives. Don't bring your idiocy and ignorance to my post, thank you.

Everyone else - have a happy Tuesday and thanks again! x