I filed an out of date stat declaration when I found out bailiffs had been to address where car was previosly registered. I had not received any info prior. Council have said appeal should not be allowed and traffic centre have agreed. Should I bother with n244 are they ever successful? Also ticket was by CCTV when I stopped in a loading bay outside charity shop. I was dropping off goods ant there for approximate 3 mins. Since then the council have made that area a bus stand and painted over the loading bay though you can still see it and the street sign on the pole is still there just turned around. Is there any hope? Thanks in advance

Just found this on the London met uni website. It looks useful but I need to get my head around the different components that are available. "Student Support is the funding most full-time students receive. The student loan, Maintenance Grant and Adult Dependants’ Allowance will be taken into account as income over the period of study, which in benefit terms means beginning September – end June, or 42/43 weeks. The following is specifically ignored for means-tested benefit assessments: · Special Support Grant · HE Grant (‘old’ system students) · Parents Learning Allowance · Childcare Grant · Disabled Students’ Allowances · Tuition fee loan/grant Some loan income is disregarded: £380 pa for books and equipment, £295 pa for travel, £10 per week after these amounts are deducted"

Thank you so much. I feel so much more empowered right now. Your advice re claiming JSA in the interim accords with the contact centre advice so glad I seem to finally be getting correct information. Unfrortunately, my Mum is a pensioner and so no chance of her being able to give me a covenant. I really was born without the silver spoon. im going to try and do the calculation now. Thanks again.

Thank you so much. just one question where do I put the student grant in the calculation? I have applied for Child Tax Credits last week - again, was never told I had any entitlement to these - though the helpful lady at the jobcentre said I might get these backdated for three months - so fingers crossed. I know the rules are very difficult for lone parents, the woman at the job centre suggested I go to my doctor and get medical certificates instead of applying for income support/job seekers allowance or fininshing course because of everything I have been through. But as tempting as it is to pull the duvet over my head for another six months I desperately want to get some degree of control back into my life. So am trying desperately to get a much advice as possible and then make constructive decisions to move my life forward. If I can get help with Housing benefits to rent somewhere - I will definately go back to studying - the long term must outweight the short term. wow- sorry for the novel

Again, thank you for your response. I have fled dv and have been in hiding for six months so couldnt continue my course. Have just made a claim for JSA and am looking for work but would prefer to go back and finish my course if at alll possible. I realise that this qualification is the key to my future but the system confuses me so much. trying to workout if i could claim hb as a student under the new rules if i went back to study its all so complicated. everyone tells me different things at the jobcentre on the advice line at Refuge etc. It was the benefits office who told me I wouldnt qualify - the meeter and greeter person- - tht office is now closed down. do you know the applicable amounts for HB? i know they use a set figure for rent "Lha" but how much can you have as income to get full entitlement? hope you dont mind me asking so many questions and thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

My mum ordered a three piece suite online through a supplier who also offered 0% interest. She had to pay £300 downpayment and the rest was financed through MBNA. The company went into liquidation before they were able to satisfy the agreement - Despite being told this MBNA began taking monthly payments from my mum to service the debt. I wrote to them and eventually got these amounts back for her, but they refused to pay back the £300 down payment saying they were not responsible for this amount =. Is this right? thanks for any help, in advance

Hiya. Thanks for your response. I think the grant was around 2800? it was the full amount as I had no other income and my son was 14. i did get the loan as well though

Hi, Looking for soe advice on whether a lone parent on a qualifyig full time educatioal course in receipt of a student loan is entitled to claim income support or not? I began studying in sept 08 and approached DWP for advice on any benefits that I might be able to claim. Needless to say I was told that as a full time student I was not entitled to claim anything. Just made a claim for income based jsa and lady told me that I would have been entitled to IS last year and that as such would be entitled to transitional arrangements which would mean i could claim until my course ended. I have put in a backdated claim to September 08 for IS (im aware that this is very unlikely to succeed) however, on reading the wording the transitional arrangements refer to a claimant being entiltled to IS as of a date in October 2008 (which I would have been) and not in receipt of IS as of that date. Would it be enough to show that I would have been entitled at that date and therefore should be permited to continue with my studies and claim IS? Does anyone have any experience/evidence in this regard? I would be really grateful for any advice. Many thanks

Thanks for your advice. But just for the record, I did not have a chance to defend this action as I was not in the country at the time the paper work was sent. I sent it at the first available opportunity. But actually, I have now found the info that I was looking for: When must the court set aside the judgment? The court must set aside the default judgment if you: have paid the whole amount owed (including any interest and costs) before the date the creditor entered judgment; sent back the acknowledgment of service form within the time limit; put in a defence within the time limit; or sent in the reply form within the time limit asking for more time to pay. The court must set aside the judgment in these circumstances, even if you do not have a defence. There is no time limit for making an application on these grounds. When is it up to the court to decide? The court may agree to set aside the default judgment even if you did not send in a reply form within the time limit if: the court thinks you have a real chance of a successful defence to the claim; or the court thinks there is some other good reason why the judgment should be set aside. There is no time limit for making an application on these grounds but the court will look at whether you made the application ‘promptly’.

Again, thanks for the prompt response and the link which I have looked at. It seems quite odd that someone can get a judgement against you in the name of Mrs smith when your name is ms Jones. How would they be able to enforce it? for example, an attachment of earnings wouldnt work as Mrs Smith does not exist and so you couldnt ask ms jones to pay the debt on behalf of Mrs Smith. So in that case all you can do is to go after Mr Smith for the alleged debt. Also, what a clever way to get a ccj against someone. Make up a name, apply to the court for a ccj. Court papers get ignored because the name is not recognised and a default judgement is then given. Surely that can not be lawful?

thanks for your response. Im aware of the general reasons for set asides but I thought that I had read somewhere that there were a few reasons when the court HAD NO CHOICE but to set an order aside. Am I wrong in thinking that? My husband and I received a late claim from a bathroom company alleging a debt for an order that was never fully completed. we did a defence but it got there late as we was on holiday when it came. we asked for a set aside and wrote to the court twice pointing out the above but they have steadfast refused to set aside the judgement. However, the claim is in the name of MR and Mrs, this is an assumption on the part of the solicitors dealing with it. As my name has never been Mrs it is Ms and my surname is different to that of my husbands and always has been. I was wondering if this was a ground for setting aside the CCJ? any help greatfully received

Hi. I read somewhere that there are some valid reasons when a court HAS TO set aside a ccj but can not find any reference to it anywhere. Does anyone else know where I can find this list? Many thanks

Thanks for your quick response. I didnt sign a contract in June. They have sent it to me now to sign, which is why I said im not sure if i want to carry on in occupation. I have no problem with paying the rent that isnt the issue. I want to know what type of agreement I have with the landlords. Is it a verbal licence or lease? and would they have a legal obligation to protect my goods after the 11/12. and is it permissable to request backdated rent? I just want to know what the legal position is thats all. Not trying to get out of paying for the rent.

Hi There, hope someone can give me a helping hand with this query? I moved into an office in April 2009, the landlord (Local authority) didnt give me a rental agreement at the time, but the terms of the advert said the offices were to let on a flexible basis, charges were dependant upon size etc with an easy in easy out clause. Eventually, in june/July they sent me a licence agreement to sign, it quoted the rent as £350 per month. I signed this and sent it back. I did not receive any invoices for rental charges. I have now received a letter saying that as I havent signed the agreeement and not paid any rental I have to leave the office by 11/12 or they will remove my goods and they accept no liability for any loss or damage etc. I emailed them and said A) agreement was sent to you B) no rent ever been demanded. They responded by saying that they had never received the signed agreement from me and here is a backdated demanded for rental charges to the 1st April 2009. They have also sent me a new licence agreement to sign backdated to the 1st April with an instruction to Sign/pay in 7 days. My question is this - under what terms have I been occupying the office if I have not signed an agreement? Are they able to demand a backdated rental fee? If I were unable to move out by the 11th would they be able to clear my office of its content without any liability? I have not decided whether to keep the office at this stage as due to an ongoing illness I have not really been able to use it in many months but had hoped to be able to relaunch myself in the new year. However, I am concerned that my belongings may be destroyed if I am unable to arrange removals before the 11th. The agreement that they have sent me now needs to be signed by two company directors whereas the original one only needed one signature. Not sure if there is any implication to this change? Any advice/info greatly received. Many thanks

Thank you so much.