Single parent student financial advice needed !! Help

I am starting university in September 2018 and have a rough idea of the loans and bursaries available to me but....they only add up to around 9500 a year. I am a single parent of a 5 year old boy and have been advised I should be able to still get universal credit to top up my loan and keep me going as there is no way that amount would support my son as it only just covers my rent!
I’m hoping someone out there knows, or is, claiming universal credit as a single parent student and can share their experience and rough idea of the amount they are receiving .

Panicking I can’t afford to support my son after a long process and tough interview process I would be devestated if this is the case .

I am starting university in September 2018 and have a rough idea of the loans and bursaries available to me but....they only add up to around 9500 a year. I am a single parent of a 5 year old boy and have been advised I should be able to still get universal credit to top up my loan and keep me going as there is no way that amount would support my son as it only just covers my rent!
I’m hoping someone out there knows, or is, claiming universal credit as a single parent student and can share their experience and rough idea of the amount they are receiving .

Panicking I can’t afford to support my son after a long process and tough interview process I would be devestated if this is the case .

The one thing I am confused about is on the student finance website it says will you be entitled to universal credit childcare element during your time at uni. If not you can apply for the childcare grant. I don’t know if I would be entitled, I’m assuming as the grant is available to me I am supposed to say no I won’t be and get the grant instead and then universal credit just won’t give me any of the childcare element . I’m so confused!

Any advice would be appreciated

You usually have to work to get the childcare element from benefits. You, I seem to remember, get a higher percent of your childcare paid with the childcare grant.

Relief to see that I am not the only one who finds this whole process confusing. I am applying to do a postgraduate course and only entitled to the loan for fees. I have assumed that I will get my rent paid for, though still need to get that confirmed. I am just wondering if I am entitled to other benefits as the loan and housing benefit alone would not be enough to live off for the duration of the f/t 2 year course.

Hey! I'm in the same boat as you and after getting absolutely nowhere with phone calls to Universal Credit and local councils, I spent hours going through various legislation so I could work it all out for myself. If you still need some help, let me know and I'm more than happy to help. I've managed to work out some figures for myself in September, and I've got all the relevant legislation ready for the arguments that I have no doubt are going to occur. Also, don't be fobbed off by UC staff on the phone - I was constantly told different things, and then I came across this (check out 3.5 (h)):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675580/ssac-minutes-nov-2017.pdf

Just let me know if you'd like any help, and good luck with your studies!

Hey! I'm in the same boat as you and after getting absolutely nowhere with phone calls to Universal Credit and local councils, I spent hours going through various legislation so I could work it all out for myself. If you still need some help, let me know and I'm more than happy to help. I've managed to work out some figures for myself in September, and I've got all the relevant legislation ready for the arguments that I have no doubt are going to occur. Also, don't be fobbed off by UC staff on the phone - I was constantly told different things, and then I came across this (check out 3.5 (h)):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675580/ssac-minutes-nov-2017.pdf

Just let me know if you'd like any help, and good luck with your studies!

Hi Evian, I'm in a right pickle and hope you can help or I may have to leave uni. I am a single mum of two childrwn and was receiving £117 a week child tax credit alongside my full maintanence loan and parental grant. I lost my house through repossession and was told to rent and claim housing benefit as a lot of mu peers receive this. I had to go to universal credit who have taken ALL of my student maintenance loan and my parental allowance for being a single mum. They have taken that off the income of an unemployed mum and said I get £0!! Ive lost £260 a week!!!!! I don't know where to turn, it cant be right. I have the same income as if I sat at home doing nothing yet I still have £95 childcare to pay (the 15% I have to pay), all my nhs and dental and travel to uni not to mention books, printing etc for uni so I am WORSE off then if I sat at home?? please help

It took me ages but I finally got UC to reevaluate my payments. If you read up a few posts, someone lists the legislation that you need, then write it in a mandatory reconsideration. Took me about 6 weeks to get a reply but they finally used the correct figures. Don’t give up x

omg, thank you for the hope! when you say correct figures do you mean they disregarded the £3566 it says on the SFE letter for the DWP to disregard? Theyve also counted my lone parent grant which they shouldnt.
Ive looked at the legislation, thank you. all i could find was the following
It had been observed during a recent Committee visit that DWP operational staff who had been asked about student provision within UC Full Service were uncertain as to the rules relating to students and conditionality. It appeared to be their understanding that the guidance was “a work in progress.” Was this so, and could the Department ensure that due consideration would be given to expanding and improving existing guidance? The Department would review the guidance when the new rules came into force.
is this what you mean?
Thank you again
Sal

I have been looking at the guideance into the student finance and claiming universal credit and have some questions that I wonder if you can answer.

The following information states that portion of the maximum loan a lone parent receives is special support, this information supports that the amount should be disregarded as per our previous statements and Gov.uk guidance stating money for special support for loan parents is disregarded.

'If you start your course from September 2016, you should qualify for more Maintenance Loan on the basis of being a lone parent. The maximum Maintenance Loan for students with an underlying eligibility to claim welfare benefits, which includes lone parents, in 2016-17 is £11,671 (if you live away from home and study in London) and £8,144 if you live at home. Part of the loan for living costs is paid as a 'special support' loan for books, childcare, travel and equipment.'

The information below additionally supports the basis that the grant should be disregarded from the calculation. I understand that the student finance letter does not give a full breakdown of the grant purposes however, as you can see from my case information it states that I am a lone parent. I am quite sure student finance will be unable to provide you with a letter to confirm that fact.

You may be eligible for help with your learning costs if you’re a full-time student with children. This is called Parents’ Learning Allowance.

How much you get depends on your household income.

The allowance:

doesn’t have to be paid back
is paid on top of your other student finance
won’t affect your benefits or tax credit
Depending on your household income, in the 2017 to 2018 academic year you could get between £50 and £1,617 a year.

It’s usually paid in 3 instalments direct to your bank account, one at the start of each term.

Parents’ Learning Allowance is paid on top of your other student finance and doesn’t have to be paid back.
2016 to 2017 academic year
Full-time students could get up to £1,573 a year.
If you correlate the above information with my student finance letters I have provided I am sure the figures match.


People with student loans can also get grants. You may get a grant if you have extra expenses, for example because you are a lone parent or a disabled person. These grants will be disregarded unless:

they are paid to cover rent and your Universal Credit includes the Housing element for this property
you are part of a joint claim and the grant is to help with the day to day living expenses of a partner (for example, the Adult Dependant's Grant).

This is what I sent.

Thank you so much, this is similar to what i was preparing. What was your end result? Did they accept this and disregard the special element of the maintanence loan and the lone parent grant?
thank you