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Special Support Element - Student Finance

Bexnco

Hi, looking for help with entitlement to Special Support Element of Maintenance Loan for Uni please.

DD is starting Uni in September and I've applied for her Student Finance. As part of the application it asked if she was entitled to PIP (which she is). A couple of days later they sent us her approved Maintenance Loan figure and Tuition Fee loan but asked us to submit proof of her PIP to assess the Special Support Element.

I uploaded her award notice, they've processed it and it's come back as £0.

I was led to believe the Special Support Element was an extra Loan to support students entitled to certain benefits, however, it seems this is not the case.

Student Finance England say not entitled due to household income being 'near the threshold' but can't tell me the threshold. Also, if they knee we weren't entitled due to aleady having reduced maintenance loan, why did they need her proof of PIP.

Anyone any experience of this please?

Thanks ☺️

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Comments

forgoodnesssake

No it's not extra…though it sounds as if it should be. It's just a proportion that can be discounted for benefits means testing purposes cos the entire Student Maintenance loan is treated as income for means tested benefit purposes…and this is even you don't take any maintenance loan!! If the student is eligible for it they are treated as having received it even if they don't actually choose to take it….no i could hardly believe it either so i double and triple checked this…

Bexnco

Wow, that hardly seems fair! How can it be classed as income if you don't claim it?! The whole system is ridiculous and very unclear!!