LCWRA and Masters /uni study

chrissy333

Hi all. Am new to this site. So I was awarded LCWRA on UC recently due to bi polar mental health issues and depression. I have been accepted onto a Masters in Psychology and would like to study.  I've cancelled the start date twice since September 2022 and keen to try May 2023 start. Would I lose LCWRA or be reviewed if I study.? I'm not up to working and under a Mental health team too.... I'm on lower rate PIP too the last year or so. Help pls 

poppy123456

Yes you can be a student while claiming UC with LCWRA and PIP. However, if there's a maintenance loan available to you it will affect the amount of UC you're entitled to, regardless of whether you decide to take that loan or not. PIP won't be affected because it's not means tested.

If you do start Uni then you'll need to make sure you report the changes to UC.

chrissy333

So they won't take the LCWRA off me for studying? 

poppy123456

chrissy333 said:

So they won't take the LCWRA off me for studying? 

No but a maintenance loan will reduce your whole UC, depending on the amount of loan you receive. (if one is available)

chrissy333

Yes will be taking the student loan to do the course and pay the fees.  Do you have any legislation that supports this or UC DMs. I can't afford to lose that money right now with cost of living and I'm not well enough to work and have that pressure. The course is part time and they are aware of my disabilities etc re pausing or doing the course etc

poppy123456

Loans to pay fees are disregarded. It's only maintenance loans that affect it. If you receive a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) this is also disregarded. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Student-income-Universal-Credit

L_Volunteer

Hey @chrissy333. A warm welcome from me.

You have mentioned struggling with your mental health at the moment. Do you have the support you need and deserve in place at the moment?

I am hearing you are currently under a mental health team. However, I appreciate the effectiveness of mental health teams is different for everyone.

Well done on the acceptance of a Master's in Psychology. How are you feeling about the idea of studying this at the moment?

I am wishing you the best of luck with this. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything else we can do to support you 

pumpkin221e

It's nice you were supported on this site and given the correct information from your questions at the first ask, but not for others who ask the same question, then face a bias for some strange reason, then having to resort to looking at a parliamentary site and posting on scope to only then be given factual information.

Regardless I hope everything worked out well for you and continues to do so, best of luck.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/929550#Comment_929550

I'm rather concerned about this comment because of the use of the word "bias." If this is regarding the question you posted, I answered your question but I wasn't biased towards you so I'm quite confused here.

Community_Scope

Hi @pumpkin221e, I'm sorry you felt that you faced a bias. Our members here strive to be as helpful as possible and may ask questions to better understand your particular situation. I hope you continue to use the community and find it a positive experience.

pumpkin221e

I feel the same "confused" at your first response to a question posed by me with the exact same concerns as this lady and many others. And yes I noted your reply which was redundant as I had to look on the parliamentary website for answers before you replied. However I have read a number of posts now which suggests I hadn't been supported with a complete answer, thanks for adding to my stress and worries. Well done you

Community_Scope

Hi @pumpkin221e, as mentioned previously, members will ask questions to fully understand your situation so they can provide the right information. This is not to make things more difficult, it is to ensure the correct advice is given as a lot of questions asked here can be quite complex.

If there are anymore comments that concern you, please use our report function.

Kind regards,

Rachel

pumpkin221e

@community_scope

Thank you, I think my post is still online if it hasn't now been removed, or my account blocked.

It's very disingenuous and lacks integrity to suggest that a complete and supportive answer had been offered in the first instance to me, it was only after I had posted for the second time information from parliamentary website regarding my post to help others like me who might be worried and needing support with the same question. I had not been given full facts in the first reply, and as I ended up searching the Internet for more details, the second response had been redundant to what I had then found on the parliamentary website. I now do not feel a further supportive response would have been offered had I not posted for others the official government information.

Only then did a second reply to my post appear from the individual above, where the tonality had not been empathetic at all. It then appears from reading other posts full knowledge of the question I had asked had been known by that individual all along from the replies given.

If I ever need help on this site again I would prefer other community admins to reply to my posts who display non-bias comparative responses. This experience has highlighted that I should definitely read the equality act.

Jimm_Scope

Hi @pumpkin221e, I've sent you a message in your community account inbox.