> A student was informed on Friday by his LEA that he was not getting a
> maintenance grant 1996-97. Fine. They are also saying that they
> want his parents to repay 1995-6's grant (stlg1319) and repay monies
> spent on a computer which amount to a further stlg1600 or so. I have
> checked the paperwork for 1995-6 and it was a provisional award unitl
> certain documents pertaining to the parental income had been received
> by the LEA but it still seems unreasonable to ask for it back at all,
> let alone well into the next academic year.
>
> Can an LEA legally demand repayment of awards made the previous
> year? Has anybody come across this sort of thing before?
>
> I would welcome any suggestions that people might have as to the way
> forward on this one. Enquiries I have made thus far suggest that it is
> a new variation.
The latest guidelines are quite explicit on the matter of refunding
for technology- LEAs cannot do it. If a student received
2000 pounds for a PC today and left the course tomorrow there would
be no case for demanding the money be refunded. Unspent fees for
other things, like signers, would be returnable.
The fact that the LEA stuck its neck out and paid up before the facts
were in is surprising, and I agree with Margaret Morgan, that they
appear to have been helpful rather than obstructive, but I suspect
the DFEE would argue that they should put the costs down to
experience and be harder next time. We hear of several cases where
parental behaviour causes problems, most LEAs dig in their heels and
try to force the issues that way.
I feel sorry for the LEA, I certainly don't think it is a case of
broadcasting its name as one of the bad guys. It is not unusual for
some LEAs to withold next year's maintenance payment pending proof of
this year's receipts. Without them, they cannot be repaid by the
DFEE. They didn't ask to administrate the DSAs and the least we can
do- including parents and students- is co-operate.
Dave Laycock
Head of CCPD, Chair of NFAC
Computer Centre for People with Disabilities
University of Westminster
72 Great Portland Street
London W1N 5AL
tel. 0171-911-5161
fax. 0171-911-5162
WWW home page: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/ccpd/
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