Open university and maintenance loan
sarzeusandeds
Online Community Member Posts: 8 Listener
Hi,
I've applied to start studying at the open university from October, I have applied for student finance to tuition fees and it also gave me the option of a maintenance loan too, so I applied for both. Today I received an email saying I need to send further evidence for my maintenance loan which include a letter from my GP about why I can't study in a class room (I suffer really bad mental health and anxiety attacks) and also about any benefits I claim , I currently get pip but it's saying if I claim pip I must also claim either universal credit or ESA but I don't get either of these, I don't work and my partner is above the threshold for us to get any universal credit. I tried to speak to student finance on the phone to explain this but he just didn't understand what I was saying. Has anyone managed to get the maintenance loan with just a letter from their GP and their pip notice?
Thanks for reading if you got this far! It's really stressing me out .
I've applied to start studying at the open university from October, I have applied for student finance to tuition fees and it also gave me the option of a maintenance loan too, so I applied for both. Today I received an email saying I need to send further evidence for my maintenance loan which include a letter from my GP about why I can't study in a class room (I suffer really bad mental health and anxiety attacks) and also about any benefits I claim , I currently get pip but it's saying if I claim pip I must also claim either universal credit or ESA but I don't get either of these, I don't work and my partner is above the threshold for us to get any universal credit. I tried to speak to student finance on the phone to explain this but he just didn't understand what I was saying. Has anyone managed to get the maintenance loan with just a letter from their GP and their pip notice?
Thanks for reading if you got this far! It's really stressing me out .
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Comments
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It's crazy because it says it will deduct any maintenance loan from your UC or ESA so it would be totally pointless claiming it as it doesn't sound like your any better off?0
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I can't claim anything so I've nothing to be deducted which is why I'm trying to figure out if I can even claim it? I get pip but nothing else so don't know0
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This link may help you:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/disabled-students-helpline
I can't see why they are asking for evidence of a UC/ESA award anyway, if you do claim one of these any Maintenance Loan you are entitled to (even if you don't choose to take) is deducted in full (minus a £110 disregard per month and split over the number of months you are studying for). PIP isn't means-tested so it doesn't matter on that front. I do know it is difficult to get an ML when using the OU. Good luck contacting them on the link above.
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