Disabled Maintenance Loan; disability discrimination

Hello you wonderful grifters! :smile:

I'm a part-time disabled student who is entitled to a Maintenance Loan. I temporarily studied at a full-time discriminatory university (for one week) before quickly changing to an accessible university. This meant I got some Maintenance Loan for a full-time student, which I've so far not touched in preparation for paying it back.
So far, SFE has refused to pay me anything of my 2021 part-time Maintenance Loan (which I've proven I'm entitled to multiple times) but has been demanding repayment of a full-time loan I got. [To be clear, they have made absolutely no mention of the Maintenance Loan I'm entitled to, and the letters state that if I'm entitled to a Maintenance Loan, anything I owe outstanding will be taken from the following payment. So I'm behaving within the rules they've set out.]

I've made it clear I'm happy to pay this back when the correct calculations have been made, which would include how much they owe me, and the total I owe them in comparison. This hasn't proven easy for them and has required months of deflection. I was recently told by SFE staff that despite the constant claims that I didn't send the information, instead, the truth is any medically related information is automatically sent to DSA. There's no method to get these regularly checked and forwarded to the correct team...
One can't help but worry that the same issue is happening with my Maintenance Loan calculations.

I'm now faced with the prospect of applying for 2022, and I'm very concerned SFE will get confused by the request for a Maintenance Loan a second time, and with double the confusion in processing that I will be expecting both years.
I have a strong suspicion they will try to wipe off the first year's entitlement when I make my '22 claim (and likely still not pay that).

Is there an explanation for why this calculation might be so challenging? And is there any verifiable assurance my concerns are unfounded?

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

Mazellan83

I am having a similar problem, i had bilateral hip replacements and had to have my DSA reassessed they refused six times to process the reassessment until the first day of term despite me quoting their guidance which states everything can and should be prepared for the start of term so not to disadvantage and discriminate against less able bodied students. As a result i had no transport for the first three weeks of term and to my horror the university didnt prepare a suitable chair or table throughout the first week despite months of preparation and awareness of my return. This caused me medical issues with my hips and spine resulting in pain possibly requiring injections. I withdrew from my studies and refused to return. At that point university miraculously jumped into pointless late action.

I had already raised a complaint with SFE as student support had done three way calls throughout we rang 5 times and were told different things. The complaint team found multiple failings from their teams even up to that morning when i was again given incorrect information. The woman sounded scared and i felt bad so i jist asked how to navigate finishing via open university and for staff training to prevent this occurring again.

she explained the route telling me i needed to do a paper application for 23/24 for september 24 (that too is wrong) and it had to be paper because i had an active application already this year (again wrong they withdrew my application meaning i can apply online) She said overpayment can be collected next time but now ive receiving calls and letters demanding £1879 i dont have plus mentoring they accused me if using after i left which is false and they discovered they were using the invoice date not the appointment date and zerod that bit. But now im being told my application will be rejected if i have outstanding overpayments which is not what i was told, they so knew i had to withdraw because they put me too far behind and left me with no equipment until two weeks ago (i left feb 28!) they obviously know im coming back but the overpayemt will prevent the process and i dont have £1879 i had to pay my rent and deal with universal credit as the whe ordeal screwed everything. Theyve assured me i can have maintenance loan as my surgeon has confirmed i need to study at home and said when i send forms and tick the medical boxes they issue a pre written declaration for the surgeon or gp to sign.

ive now had to email complaints back telling them to sort it or lm going to have to sue them, i already asked for a copy of the investigation findings and all she sent despite asking again was the forms to apply for finance again and more incorrect information, blatantly withholding their breaches of the equality act and protected characteristics with blatant disability discrimination. I feel they need to be working with their own departments to sort this mess out but the level of incompetence at ever corner and the barriers they are putting up is majorly concerning. Ive got my credit transfer through for 180 credits ive applied for open university and the next module and all i keep seeing is overpayments will prevent process despite it saying it can be deducted next time.

Im going to ring overpayments tomorrow and read them the riot act and also ask for complaints escalation to the ombudsman and i feel the whole thing is criminal, they have cost me my degree through breaching the law and now seem to prevent me finishing it despite them saying otherwise to fob the complaint off.