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Students and Benefits E-bulletin - September 2009
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the September edition of CPAG in Scotland's students and benefits e-bulletin, keeping you up-to-date with changes to benefits and tax credits which may be relevant to students.
Contents:
CPAG news and events
- Benefits for students training courses
- New factsheet
- Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook
Benefits and tax credits
- Income support for lone parents
- Classification of HNC courses in Scotland
Other information
- Free school meals
- Energy Assistance package
CPAG news and events
Benefits for students training
Forthcoming training on benefits for students:
- Introduction to benefits for student advisers
27-28 October 2009, Glasgow (two-day)
- Benefits and students - an update
1 December 2009, Edinburgh (half-day)
For information about fees click here. To book a place click here or contact Betty Kelly on (0141) 552 3303 / bkelly@cpagscotland.org.uk
Please see also our student and benefits flyer. All of these courses can be organised in your workplace or at a venue that suits you.
To view all our students and benefits training courses visit: www.cpag.org.uk/scotland/training/students
New factsheet
Benefits and tax credits for European students, is now available. If you are on our mailing list, you will receive a copy in the post shortly. Otherwise, you can contact acarr@cpagscotland.org.uk for copies.
Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook
The 7th edition of the Handbook for the academic year 2009/10 will be available from October. Remember all colleges, universities and CABx get one free copy, courtesy of the Scottish Government, distributed automatically.
Benefits and tax credits
Income support for lone parents
The second phase of changes to lone parents’ eligibility for income support (IS) is due to come into force on 26 October 2009 (Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 no. 3051 (link to this is: www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20083051_en_1). From this date lone parents will only be able to claim IS if their youngest child is under 10. Those on IS whose youngest child is 9, 10 or 11 will be moved off IS over the next 12 months.
However, there is transitional protection for a lone parent starting a full-time course before the date the change comes in, so that the rule change will not apply to them for the duration of the course. The table below sets out the rule that will apply for a full-time student who is a lone parent and is in receipt of income support.
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Course start date
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Income support end date
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Before 24/11/08
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When course ends or youngest child turns 16, whichever is the earliest
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Between 24/11/08 and 25/10/09
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When course ends or youngest child turns 12, whichever is the earliest
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After 25/10/09
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When course ends or youngest child turns 10, whichever is the earliest
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Note also that the rules are due to change again from October 2010, to age 7.
Examples from CPAG in Scotland's advice line:
Q: A lone parent student on IS started a one-year FE course in August 2009. She has one child, aged 10. Can IS continue throughout her course?
A: Yes. As she is starting her course after 24/11/08 but before 25/10/09, the rule that applies to her is that she can get IS until her youngest child turns 12. When the rules change in October 2009 so that lone parents cannot get IS unless their youngest child is under 10, this change will not apply to her because of the transitional protection for students. Her IS can continue until her course ends.
Q: A lone parent student on IS started a one-year FE course in August 2009. She has one child aged 11, who turns 12 in December 2009. Can IS continue throughout her course?
A: No. As in the above example, as she is starting her course after 24/11/08 but before 25/10/09, the rule that applies to her is that she can get IS until her youngest child turns 12. IS will stop from her child's 12th birthday in December 2009.
Classification of HNC courses in Scotland
There was recently a question raised by an MP as to whether or not a Scottish HNC course was correctly classified as an advanced course for benefit purposes, or whether in fact it should be classed as non-advanced. If it was a non-advanced course, then parents would be eligible for child tax credit (CTC) and child benefit (CB) for a young person attending an HNC course. However, HMRC, on advice from the Government, have confirmed that it is an advanced course, and therefore parents cannot claim CTC and CB for young people on such a course.
Other information
Free school meals
From the start of the new school year, an estimated 44,000 extra children in Scotland will qualify for free school meals. Children whose parents are getting working tax credit with an annual income (as assessed by the Revenue for tax credits purposes) below £6,420 will be entitled to free school meals. Parents getting working tax credit during the four-week run-on after stopping work will also be eligible.
Energy Assistance package
People getting tax credits with an annual income below £17,474 can get help with insulation and draught-proofing. Those with a child under 5 or a disabled child (and some others) who are homeowners or private sector tenants and are living in energy inefficient homes may qualify for an enhanced package including new central heating. More information on this scheme and energy advice for everyone is available from the Energy Saving Trust.
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© Michaela Greene
