> A student with insulin-dependant diabetes is experiencing financial constraints
> that may force him to withdraw from his course.
>
> The student, R, left his previous employment to start full time study in higher
> education. He is married with two dependant children, one of whom is severely
> disabled and received the highest rate of DLA. R's wife is unable to work, as
> she is a full-time carer. She receives Carers Allowance, and is applying for
> Income Support.
>
> They have been informed that R's grant, student loan and any awards from the
> Access Fund count as income, for assessment of his wife's Income Support.
> They are appealing, but by the time a decision is reached R may have had to
> withdraw from higher education.
>
Try asking for a review. A one-off Access Fund payment is normally
counted as capital, not income; regular payments should be ignored
*unless* they are intended for food, bills or housing costs.
> R's maintenance grant is insufficient to pay his accommodation in halls of
> residence, and the student loan will have to be repaid in due course.
Make sure the grant is correct - it sounds as though he may be
entitled to "two homes allowance" (if his family lives elsewhere than
Halls). If the DSS got the Access Fund bit wrong, they might also
have calculated the grant income wrongly - some parts are
disregarded, and others taken over different periods.
> He is unlikely to be able to work to supplement his income while studying,
> as he has been experiencing frequent "hypos" recently, which are made
> worse by tiredness and stress.
>
> He is applying for DSA for extra expenditure on food and footwear and to buy a
> small refrigerator for storing insulin at College. Would he also have to
> declare this as income?
Any DSA should be disregarded.
> Can anyone suggest a way forward? The fact that Student Loans are counted as
> income for means-tested benefits generated some lively discussion at the Skill
> seminar last week!
>
> Clare Davies
> Student Services
> Nene College of Higher Education
> Northampton NN2 7AL
> 01604 735500 ext 2390
> [log in to unmask]
>
Mel Nichol
Welfare Manager
University of Bath Students' Union
Tel. 01225 826906
E-mail [log in to unmask]
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