Hi

I'm new to this site and am due to start at Herts Uni in Sept but was just wondering if anyone knew whether I would be eligible for housing/council tax benefit???

I am married with 2 young girls but we will have no income when I start Uni other than the bursary and child tax credits (I'm not even sure if I will be entitled to that)??

So can anyone help with any financial info??

Thanks

Hi Foxym

Welcome to the site. Tbh Im not exactly sure. I understand as a single person you wouldnt be eligible but as family I think you will be, as your pay will be in the very low bracket (that meagre bursary/loan!) and you will have a partner who needs to be housed and kids too. I think your income will be low enough to qualify for support, particularly with the kids....

Council tax, yup all students and folks on benefits are eligible so thats one less worry...

Id give them a ring if I were you to put your mind at rest

Welcome btw

Jx

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I am almost sure you are exempt from council tax while training for the N H S,I have a welfare advisor in the collage I go to and he is bloody brill, he knows everything you should be getting,
as with everything it always dempends on your house hold income and circumstances, surley the uni you are going to be attending will have a welfare officer, who can help you with all your finacial help x x
hope this makes sence and hasn't confussed you even more lolol

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oh and welcome to the site
congratulations on getting a place x x

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"Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak. A woman can bring a new love to each man she loves, providing there are not too many."

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Thanks for your replies!!

To be honest I hadn't thought of contacting the Uni's welfare people, I did ask at my college but they didn't seem to know an awful lot about it!

I will call them tomorrow

Thanx
xx

I know that you should defo be excempt from council tax if not then at least the bulk of it. And bursary doesn't normally effect your child tax credits. But not sure on the housing benefits one especially with being a couple. My friend is a at Uni doing nursing and she is a single mum but still as to pay full rent.

It depends on your joined incomes, you could try.

Students get a 25% reduction in council tax, your uni will give you a form when you register and you need to take it to the council, this needs to be done every year.

Good luck with it, you may find you make up the short fall in tax credits, that really helps us out.

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Am almost 100% sure that as you are a couple that you will not qualify for housing benefit. Is your partner working? If not, then that would swing it more in your favour i spose but even then it is very unlikely. If he is working, as smwife said, you will get 25% reduction on council tax bill.
Your uni welfare is a great place to start as already suggested but i would probably phone the council as well and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak!
The bad news is, that for NHS bursary payments mortgages are taken into account when making awards, but rent isn't! But there is rumour that this might change.
x

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STMW 2nd year - no, really!

As far as I'm aware, rent is taken into consideration from September 2007 cohorts.

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It already changed last September, rent as well as mortgage is taken into consideration.
I used to claim HB before starting the course as we rent privately and hubby on low wage, when I started I was no longer entitled. I am exempt from council tax so hubby gets charged a single persons reduced rate.