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'Independant Student'? (I hope so!)

Hi Mark
Please please help...
I'm currently 19 and working full time, have been working full time in continuous employment since March 2011 and supported myself since this time. I live with my mother; but I pay rent (albeit at a reduced rate of 50/week) and buy all my own food etc.
I currently earn around £17,000/ year, and am entirley dependant on this money - I get no hand outs or 'unearned income' from my mother, despite living in her house.
I also moved out for a year, from February 2010 - January 2011, living with my (now ex-)partner, and worked part-time in a supermarket from soon after I left school (October 2009) until October 2010.
In theory I've hit 3 years of independant living, in that I can prove I've paid my own taxes/ NI etc (if I ring Inland Revenue...) but is this enough to be assessed as 'independant'?
I can't afford to go to uni if they count my mum's wages, as she will not be supporting me whilst I'm there - my income is my own, and I will be expected to rely on myself - there will be no 'unearned income' helping me out whilst at uni.
Oh, and I intend to study a Social Work degree full time at Norwich (UEA) from Sept 2014 (I will be 21 in Sept 2014). I'm currently studying through the Open University (60 credits a year, part time) - if any of that makes any difference.

Any help greatly appreciated - please include links where possible! :smile:

Reply 1

Mark Lee - SFE Official Adviser

Official Rep

Hi Hippie,

Whether we can class you as an independent student will depend on the amount you earned in the 10/11 tax year. If this was over £7500 then yes we will class you as independent and your maintenance grant will be awarded based on your own info.

If you didn't earn over this amount in 10/11 then we would need your Mum's financial info to process your grant request. It might be worth noting that if this is the case we won't be asking whether your Mum actually supports your or not we'll just need the her income details from the 11/12 tax year and as long as they're below £42, 875 then you will qualify for a grant award.

Hope this helps!
Mark-Lee :smile:

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