Maintenance loan and IR ESA

lisa86

I have a dilemma with starting a part time degree with the open university in October. I am on IR ESA and seen on here that they can stop this if you are eligible for a maintenance loan via student finance.
i have just spoken to a lovely lady on the helpline, who is going to come back to me with more information.
Is there anyone else in the same situation on this community?

janer1967

Hi and welcome @lisa86 I dont know the answer to your query I just wanted to say hi.

I will tag in another member who will be able to help with your query @poppy123456 can you advise here please

Adrian_Scope

Hi @lisa86, it's correct that a maintenance loan is counted as income, so it can affect your IR ESA. However, if it's just a loan for course fees, this wouldn't have any effect.

Hopefully someone will be by who might have experience of this. In the meantime you're very welcome here. What are you hoping to study?

lisa86

janer1967 said:

Hi and welcome @lisa86 I dont know the answer to your query I just wanted to say hi.

I will tag in another member who will be able to help with your query @poppy123456 can you advise here please

lisa86

thank you

poppy123456

Hi,

All i can add here is that if a maintenance loan is available to you it will be counted as income, even if you decide not to take it.

lisa86

Thank you for your answers and assistance.
inused the benefits calculator and included the student course fee and maintenance loan and it said that I am still eligible for a reduced amount of ESA and then said I would be better off changing to universal credit.

lisa86

I am confused, is the course fee counted as income?

poppy123456

A benefits calculator is only as good as the information you put into them. They wouldn't acknowledge a student loan amount. I can only assume you put it in as "other income" Maintenance loans do affect means tested benefits, as previously advised, even if you decide not to take the loan.

The course fees are not counted as income.

Universal Credit is a means tested benefit and maintenance loans affect those in the same way they affect IR ESA.

lisa86

Yes, I put in the maintenance loan and the course fee.
My income low as I only work 11 hours a week in permitted work

poppy123456

Permitted work doesn't affect your ESA but maintenance loans can. I'd advise you to get some expert advice regarding this.

lisa86

I did have a chat with an advisor late yesterday. I am aware maintenance loans can affect ESA that’s why I put I. The maintenance loan amount t into the extra income I. The benefits calculator 

poppy123456

Then i don't under what your question is.

lisa86

my question was if the maintenance loan was a small amount , could I keep the ESA

poppy123456

Very unlikely. As has already been advised, maintenance loans affect means tested benefits.

poppy123456

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Student-Support/How-does-student-support-affect-benefits

lisa86

Thank you for the really useful link

poppy123456

You're welcome.

lisa86

I have spoken to the DWP this
 morning, and after 1 1/2 hours of being in hold I finally got through.
They have given me permission to study with the maintenance loan for study costs and keep my ESA, due
ti my serious medical conditions and situation, and the course is part time at home online.
They said if you are studying full time, it would affects benefits.

poppy123456

A maintenance loan for course fees? Or do you mean a loan for course fees? There's a difference here.

I don't understand the advice about the serious illness. A maintenance loan for anything other than course fees is classed as income and will affect the amount of ESA you're entitled to, regardless of what your condition is.

lisa86

maintenance loan for
course fee isn’t counted and they told
me  the small maintenance loan for course related costs wouldn’t either.
I would like to end the discussion now as this has caused me endless stress, upset and worry.