Urgent Income Support Help

[Captain Wesker]

My partner has needed constant care and supervision since the 15th of april.

 

I have not worked since then, and I was told I could claim income support to look after her.

 

She is on ESA and gets £50 a week. I have today been told that as she got a student loan 2 months ago I cannot have any money until 26th June.

 

What am I suppose to live on? Never mind that a Student Loan is a LOAN, they consider it income.

 

We currently have no money whatsoever. Please help.

[honeybee13]

Hi there, this sounds awful for you both. I wish I could help, but I don't know about ESA and IS. But I'm sure other clever caggers will turn up later and I hope they'll help you.

 

My best to you both, HB x

[MIKEY DABODEE]

Hi Captain,

 

The rules regarding student loans and I.S are a bit complicated so I will try to explain.

Your wifes student loan is classed as an Income, what happens is that the loan is attributed for the period it is supposed to cover for I.S purposes.

 

This means that the loan was paid to your wife by the student loan company to cover her living expenses for the academic year, first week in September to the last week of June. Under normal circumstances this money would have kept her for the period when she was attending her course.

I.S use these rules they are saying her student loan should have lasted her to the end of June and as such they class it as an income as in theory they think she should have enough left to cover herself to June.

Hence the date they have given you the 26th June.

 

Unfortunately as I.S is incomed based you cant claim anything untill this date. The only thing I can suggest is maybe a crisis loan, not the best I Know.

Have you claimed housing and council tax benefits as well,

Also DLA for your wife

sorry things are not good at the moment

[Captain Wesker]

Attempting to Claim DLA at the mo, how can £3k a year be enough to live on for 2 people?

 

We have the horrors of ATOS to go to tomorrow as well.

[honeybee13]

I sympathise CW, Atos is not a happy place to be, but it has to be done. I don't know how to advise you on answers that fit with the Lima software if I've spelt that right, because I failed the last time. If you've had time to read this forum, you'll see many of us have. All you can do is be honest and try to make sure the doctor is actually listening and not totally transfixed by the computer screen.

 

But please don't despair, you could be one of the lucky ones and I hope our gurus come up with some ways for you to live until decisions are made.

 

Big hugs to you both, HB

[MIKEY DABODEE]

Attempting to Claim DLA at the mo, how can £3k a year be enough to live on for 2 people?

 

We have the horrors of ATOS to go to tomorrow as well.

 

 

The student loan 3k would have been for your wife, where you working,

its not a fair system I know.

 

June 26 is a long way away, but you will get I.S after that date if your circumstances stay the same, and if she gets DLA hopefully you will get extra premiums.

 

Was the student loan 3k for the year, if thats the case then they have processed the claim wrong

[Captain Wesker]

Yeah, it was 3K for the year, and they knew that when I shouted at them today over the phone.

 

Amazing how you can never get your hands on the goits who make the descicions isn't it.

 

As for the ATOS stuff, I have read a fair bit on here about it, but all it's done is make her worry. However, her advisor at the Jobcentre told her all about the appeals process and how crap ATOS were, which made me laugh.

[MIKEY DABODEE]

forgot you had the ESA as well, done calc they are correct,

 

lets hope you get the DLA soon

good luck tomorrow

[honeybee13]

Fingers crossed for you both. If you possibly can, stay firm but fair. Being shouted at must be a daily thing for them, with all the frustrated people out there. If you're different, it may make you stand out.

 

Or does anyone know different?

 

HB x

[loopinlouie]

HB, I agree shouting as frustrated as people can get, gets you no where. We are often reminded the people who answer the phones are not the descision makers.

[laur22]

Hi i am in the same situation, im a lone parent, i started uni sep 2008 and i received IS during my studies until this year they stopped my IS without any warning because of my student loans, why wasnt i told this in 2008 ive been to every 6 month work focus interview they have been aware of all my circumstances regarding student finance obvs this is a major mistake on their behalf, i hop this is recognized in my appeal. student loans pffffft do IS not understand we have equipment to pay for in my circumstance it is not cheap!! all we can do is appeal appeal appeal.