will it affect us

[stuggling]

I'm going back to college full time in September my partner works full time, but we have 4 children and get housing benefit towards help with rent but was informed if I go back to college my hb is likely to stop :-S, im doing this to gain a qualification to return to work full time

 

I've no idea what to do now

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Who informed you?

[sillygirl1]

Check on http://www.entitledto.com to check what your entitlement would be.

 

You may need to reclaim as a student.

[stuggling]

Entitledto.com won't do it as a full time student,

 

Our local council told us :'(, they said if I was on Isa,jsa it wouldn't affect claim but because partner works it will and is most likely to stop so I can't go college really upset

[stuggling]

This is what entitledto.com say

If you are a full-time student, you can get Housing Benefit (HB England, Scotland, Wales and HB Northern Ireland) and/or Council Tax Benefit (England, Scotland and Wales) if you meet one of the following conditions:

you receive Income Support (IS) or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance or are over Pension Credit age

you are responsible for a child and you are a lone parent or a member of a couple and you are both full-time students (unlike IS and JSA this applies throughout the year)

you are a lone foster carer with a child formally placed with you by a local authority or voluntary agency

you receive Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance, the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit or a War Pensioner’s Disability Supplement

you or your partner are registered blind

you have been unable to work due to sickness or disability for at least 28 weeks

you qualify for a disabled student’s allowance because you are deaf

you take time out from your course because of illness or caring responsibilities in certain circumstances (see Time out from study).

 

NB: If you receive student support, in the form of a grant or loan, this will usually reduce the amount of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit you can get, unless you also get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance or you are over Pension Credit age.

 

But we don't fall into any of that! My partner on a low wage and we not splitting up just so I can return to college I find it wrong and very upsetting

[citizenB]

I will flag your query for site team. There are one or two people who would know for sure.

[stuggling]

Thank you

[RaeUK]

I can only asssume that, as HB / CTB are means tested benefits, then the combination of the household income would take you out of that threshold. Or am I missing something? ...

 

EDIT: Of course, the other factor might be that full-time education later in life is a personal choice and not a right. Perhaps the Open University is a possibility? ...

[Surfer01]

I'm going back to college full time in September my partner works full time, but we have 4 children and get housing benefit towards help with rent but was informed if I go back to college my hb is likely to stop :-S, im doing this to gain a qualification to return to work full time

 

I've no idea what to do now

 

That is correct. Your current HB and Council tax benefit will stop as they are related to JSA. You will need to apply again and supply proof from college that you are doing the course and of course supply details of income. The HB and council tax are then assessed on your new change of circumstances.

[stuggling]

I don't claim jsa, my partner works full time we get no other income when I start college if it gets refused what then I suffer and never do a course that can get me a job just sit back and suffer!

be starting college doesn't affect our income at all I've showed them this and the college details bit got told because it full time your hb stops though our income hasn't changed

Sorry if it rude just need a way of saying to council to sod off partner works and im trying to better our situation so we don't have to claim hb anymore its like they want us too!!

[stuggling]

can't do open uni as I have to pay over 4000 just to get started and get materials I need for course in the college it already provided in class

[sillygirl1]

Has your partner checked the tax credits are correct as clearly they ought to change... the new circumstances can be put into Entitledto.com any time and not be linked to you, so you can check to see what you can claim.

 

Claim individually for your partner first and put yourself as a student, this might change the claim amount sunstantially.

[stuggling]

Yes it all correct it doesn't affect the tax credits either as I don't get and finance or student loans fir it if you put student in entitledto.con it states it can't be done I've to enquire at local council

[ErikaPNP]

Most full time students cannot get housing benefit, as you've found out. However the information you have located is written in such a way that it is intended to be read as if the main benefit claimant is the student because the rules only apply if the claimant is the student. i.e you are the main benefit claimant and your husband is a partner in the claim.

 

So yes, your housing benefit would stop if you were a full time student and the benefit claimant and you did not fall into any of the exempt categories.

 

However there is nothing to stop your husband from then submitting a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit, with him as the claimant and you as the partner. This is legitimate, by the way, it's not a 'get out clause', and many councils will actually advise people to do this.

[Slatted]

can't do open uni as I have to pay over 4000 just to get started and get materials I need for course in the college it already provided in class

 

So you do not qualify for any of the Financial Support available on Open University for those on low income? I would have thought you might....

[rainbo]

can't do open uni as I have to pay over 4000 just to get started and get materials I need for course in the college it already provided in class

 

I would check that again. As you're on HB, this may reduce the fees - perhaps even to ZERO.

[RaeUK]

Just going on very dodgy half-remembered conversations with my sister who's doing an OU course, I rather think the amount of help being made available to those on a low income is being heavily cut back this year. Now there's a surprise ...

[Nystagmite]

Just going on very dodgy half-remembered conversations with my sister who's doing an OU course, I rather think the amount of help being made available to those on a low income is being heavily cut back this year. Now there's a surprise ...

 

Yeah. The fees are going up and it's loans now. Whereas when I started, the course fee (if you qualified) was a grant.

 

OP - as someone with children, you should be able to get housing benefit. As a full time student, your husband should get a council tax discount.

[count orlok]

Full time students do not pay council tax. Your partner will get the single person rate of council tax; 25% off.

 

Houses full of students do not pay any at all.

[rainbo]

Just going on very dodgy half-remembered conversations with my sister who's doing an OU course, I rather think the amount of help being made available to those on a low income is being heavily cut back this year. Now there's a surprise ...

 

Depending on the course(s) and the start date(s).

[Surfer01]

Most full time students cannot get housing benefit, as you've found out. However the information you have located is written in such a way that it is intended to be read as if the main benefit claimant is the student because the rules only apply if the claimant is the student. i.e you are the main benefit claimant and your husband is a partner in the claim.

 

So yes, your housing benefit would stop if you were a full time student and the benefit claimant and you did not fall into any of the exempt categories.

 

However there is nothing to stop your husband from then submitting a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit, with him as the claimant and you as the partner. This is legitimate, by the way, it's not a 'get out clause', and many councils will actually advise people to do this.

 

I knew there was a way around it as I went back to university in 1999 and it was the wife that claimed me as a dependent as she was working as a factory worker.

[stuggling]

Op took all grants away and it loans now,

 

Thanks guys for your help gonna see what council say this week and go from there