Part-time Student: Stipend and Carers Allowance

Robbot

To date, I cannot find anything about this across the net.

Background: Part-time student less than 21 hours per week receiving a tax-free stipend (think maintenance grant) of £169 per week. However, the stipend is for living expenses and travel, equipment, study needs, and expenses related to research. So, removing a reasonable amount for the latter, the amount left should fall below the £139 per week allowed for a carers allowance claim.

Looking at the carers allowance form, it cannot handle part-time student and stipend /maintenance grant together. So how is any claim made under these circumstances?

If there is a way of applying (noting the above information), and if so, how do you explain, or apportion the split in living allowance and expenses to justify the reduction from £179 to £139.

😊

Robbot

Anyone?

bg844

Studying and claiming benefits is a very grey area. Any potential maintenance loan is separate to the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit you are referring to, this is classed as ‘unearned income’. Are you 100% certain that the course you are doing is less than 21 hours a week including the time you will need to spend at home doing coursework?

Robbot

As it is funded from the public purse there are signed contracts stipulating part time is16 hours per week. Full time is 35 hours per week.  Can you point me towards any info showing a maintenance 'grant' (not loan) is classed unearned income? 

bg844

This is why I have said it's a grey area. There's no official guidance on this other than CA isn't means-tested which means Student Finance is disregarded (the same for New-Style benefits/Tax Credits), normal earned income from employment/self-employment is what is calculated for CA and other benefits that have earnings limits. The thing is, even if you phoned DWP to ask then you'd get so many wrong answers which is unfortunate, they work in call centres and aren't benefit advisors or Decision Makers (so many mistakes have been made with other people phoning for advice believe me).

See:
https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/loans-scholarships-might-affect-benefits/#Part-time-courses-click

Note to add, Carer's Allowance is taxable and you will need to include this when Student Finance ask for your income. I'm sure you already know this, but it's worth mentioning.

Robbot

I don't come under SFE. Stipends are funded outside of this?

Robbot

Sorry about the last post, that came across a bit terse. 

I meant to say, I'm not funded or have anything to do with SFE. My stipend is provided by an awards council and paid direct  via my university.

I'll submit an application for CA and note my financial situation in the 'any other info' box and see how the DWP respond.

bg844

@Robbot No need to apologise, I haven't been online since my last post. If your CA application is successful you should expect to see the money in your bank account before a letter arrives, they are working through applications quite quickly at the moment too. Please do come back and notify when you have had a decision.

Robbot

Quick update.

Its been 6 weeks since the application, and I'm still waiting < tapping fingers on desk>.  I assume either there is a long waiting list, or my application is causing a lot of discussion by the decision makers

Jimm_Scope

Have you contacted them since to follow up? Just to make sure nothing has fallen through the gaps.

poppy123456

It's not unusal for it to take up to about 12 weeks for a carers allowance decision.

bg844

I agree with Poppy, Carer’s Allowance are notoriously painful to communicate to especially when it comes to making changes/cancelling a claim and don’t rush. Have you received any payments yet?

Robbot

I checked with them last week, they confirmed the application is in the system and I should know by week six.  No payments either.

Robbot

Update.

I received a DS790 form today asking for all the same information about university I'd previously gave them on the CA application form. Although, this now specifically asks if there is a Bursary or Training Allowance involved. This is going to get very confusing as a stipend is neither, no doubt there is more to come.

Despite seeking, I've yet to find any advisors who can offer advice, the best I've had so far is "a stipend is distinct from earnings because it is not intended to compensate someone for work performed".

Hard to argue as it is not in the regulations

bg844

It's a tough one that's all, CA regulations don't specifically mention stipends so it's hard for anyone to advise. Persist with the form and await their decision, I can't 100% say you'll be accepted or not. Good Luck

Robbot

Now resolved.