The Student Room Group

for all students with step parents / parents partners living in the house! good news

hi guys

well i've seen a few threads around from people who are applying for student support and whoes parents are divorced but they live with 1 parent and their parent's new partner/spouse, but unfortunately the step parent, despite not directly contributing to the student's upbringing, still has to be included on the student loan application!!!!!!

If you are in this situation - read on!

Basically this happened to me, and it was very annoying, because without my mums boyfriend on the form I was elegible for a grant. Luckily I phoned them up and explained the situation, and it worked!
They told me to include all his details but to attach a cover letter with them saying how he doesn't contribute - and asking for him not to be included when finding out my entitlement!

and then today I logged on to student finance, and sure enough I was eligible for the grant, and they hadnt included his income!

So basically the point of this thread was to tell anybody who was despairing about being in this situation to try and send in the cover letter and see what happens :smile: :smile: :smile: :biggrin:
Oh my god exactly my situation - what number did you call!?
Wow! that's great news!

Can you give us some more specifics please?
Reply 3
hey well i just called the number on the website (under 'contact')

basically the woman who told me to do that was reallyyyyyyy nice, so maybe if you guys call you might get someone horrible.

but anyway I got my mums boyfriend to fill out the form, and we wrote a letter that said how he doesnt contribute and has a life outside of our house that he uses his money for (obviously we said this in a polite way). I didn't get a call back or anything but then today I went on my online application and everything had been processed, and it has put me as eligibile for a few hundred pounds as a grant (which i definitely would not have got if my mum's boyfriend were included)!!

I don't know if this is important but I had a few things going in my favour: he and my mum aren't married, and he only moved in a year a go. maybe if you have a stepdad whoes been living there for years then you might have more of a problem?!

anyway hope that helps!
Reply 4
Disgusting. He lives with you FFS. Why should both of my parents have to contribute, yet step parents/parents partners don't have to? How are you going to prove that he doesn't contribute to your household, even though he does? (Because he'll help pay the bills, mortgage, etc)
Reply 5
sorry but I don't believe you know the situation well enough and I don't want to share it with you over an internet forum.

The fact of the matter is we managed to satisfy the Student loans people with the details, there are real reasons as to why he shouldn't pay, and the student loans people know this, hence why he was not included.
Reply 6
Titch89
Disgusting. He lives with you FFS. Why should both of my parents have to contribute, yet step parents/parents partners don't have to? How are you going to prove that he doesn't contribute to your household, even though he does? (Because he'll help pay the bills, mortgage, etc)


Oooooh jealousy
Reply 7
Titch89
Disgusting. He lives with you FFS. Why should both of my parents have to contribute, yet step parents/parents partners don't have to? How are you going to prove that he doesn't contribute to your household, even though he does? (Because he'll help pay the bills, mortgage, etc)

The solution to your problem is for your parents to divorce. They can continue to live together as partners. Then you could be assessed on the lower income only. They can re-marry after you graduate.
And yes, believe it or not, I do know of families who have done this.
Christ, people getting divorced just so their kids can get more of a grant? Just get a bloody job if you need more money.
Reply 9
Lizj
The solution to your problem is for your parents to divorce. They can continue to live together as partners. Then you could be assessed on the lower income only. They can re-marry after you graduate.
And yes, believe it or not, I do know of families who have done this.


Stupid families are stealing the tax payers money.
Reply 10
Mantha
Oooooh jealousy


Only because it's very wrong, imo. I'm effectively being penalised because my parents are still toegther and happily married.

Just get a bloody job if you need more money


Which will affect my grades. And it's impossible for me to get a job anyway.

Only because it's very wrong, imo. I'm effectively being penalised because my parents are still toegther and happily married.


Erm, no you're not.

You think that a person should have exactly the same responsibilities for their boyfriend or girlfriend's children as they do for their own children?
Reply 12
Well, they do live with the child's parent, wo it's only right.
Titch89


Which will affect my grades. And it's impossible for me to get a job anyway.


That was aimed at the people trying to cheat the system, I share your point of view in this

I think its ridiculous that the partner isn't included in the assessment. Yeah you can say they dont contribute directly to the child, but theres so many people whose (married) parents dont give them any money either. Theyre in a worse off position just because their parents are married, its completely unfair.
Theyre in a worse off position just because their parents are married, its completely unfair.


Er, what?

They'd be in the same position if their parents were unmarried, you realise...

The distinction here is made between parent versus not your parent NOT unmarried versus married parents...
I may try this next year! My mum lives alone with us atm so I get the whole lot but next year she will be living with him and with his income included I'll hardly get anything - even though I won't even be living there or getting any money off him!
la fille danse
Er, what?

They'd be in the same position if their parents were unmarried, you realise...

The distinction here is made between parent versus not your parent NOT unmarried versus married parents...


Apologies, read it again, misunderstood the first time
Original post by la fille danse
Erm, no you're not.

You think that a person should have exactly the same responsibilities for their boyfriend or girlfriend's children as they do for their own children?



Not at all my step-father is married to my mother that is all he has taken no financial responsibility for me and made it very clear from the start he does not consider me his daughter why i should be entitled to less due to a man that does not have any effect over my life i do not understand !!!