Supporting full-time students to claim means-tested benefits. Debbie Witton Mon 30 June 3-4:15pm NASMA 2014

Transcription

1 Supporting full-time students to claim means-tested benefits Debbie Witton Mon 30 June 3-4:15pm NASMA 2014

2 Contents Whilst waiting for universal credit. Different types of benefits Who is a full-time student Who is eligible to claim in term time and the summer Interaction with student finance Tips for maximising housing benefit When and how to claim

3 What benefits are there? 1. Benefits intended to replace earnings 2. Benefits to compensate for extra costs (children, disability) 3. Benefits to help alleviate poverty (in and out of work). These are means-tested.

4 Types of benefits (examples) Earnings replacement Compensation for extra costs Help alleviate poverty (Means-tested) Contributory JSA Disability Living Allowance Income-based JSA Contributory ESA Personal independence Payment Income-related ESA Carer s Allowance Child Benefit Income Support Retirement Pension Child Tax credit Working tax credit Housing benefit Universal Credit

5 Which benefits can students get? Anyone with children can claim child benefit and child tax credit Disability Living Allowance /PIP not affected by study Rules restrict most full-time students from getting means-tested benefits but there are exceptions

6 Full-time students who are eligible to claim means-tested benefits Lone parents whose youngest child is under five - income support, housing benefit Lone parent with youngest child five or over housing benefit: (JSA over the summer) Student couples with a child - housing benefit, (jobseeker s allowance over the summer) Disabled students who get DLA/PIP - housing benefit, employment and support allowance

7 Who can claim in further (non-advanced) education? Full-time is more than 12 hours per week Under 22 (if 21, started course before age 21), without parental support/estranged etc Income support, housing benefit if you are not claiming benefits and under 20 parents may be able to get child tax credit, child benefit for you Students aged 19 or over doing 16 hours or more per week are restricted by the same rules as full-time HE students

8 How student income affects entitlement How student income is taken into account depends on what it is intended for: Funding to cover course costs is ignored Funding to cover living costs is taken into account

9 Jill is a lone parent whose youngest child is aged three Student loan income support applicable amount No income support in term-time Can Jill get any Housing Benefit? She lives in a two bed council flat. Rent is per week

10 Student finance and housing benefit Students on income-related ESA or income support get maximum benefit Students whose income is too high to get income related ESA or income support may still be able to get some housing benefit during term time

11 Can lone parent Jill get any Housing Benefit? She lives in a two bed council flat. Rent is per week Term time benefits Income support nil Housing benefit Child tax credit Child benefit Summer vacation Income support Housing benefit Child tax credit Child benefit 20.50

12 Top housing benefit tips Check if bedroom tax applies to students in council or housing association tenants Check the LHA rates in your area to advise students in private rented accommodation If a student gets HB but not enough to cover the rent and is in hardship apply for a discretionary housing payment Ensure HB is reassessed over the summer HB can be backdated for up to 6 months with good reasons

13 Tax Credits for students Students with children can claim CTC Students who work can get WTC if 25 or over and working 30 hours or a lone parent/disabled working 16 hours per week or member of a couple working 24 hours All student loans and grants ignored as income except for the adult dependant grant Cannot get both WTC childcare credit and child care grant

14 Where and how to claim? Tax credits JSA, ESA, IS DWP DLA/PIP DWP Housing benefit Local authority where student is renting