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bang up
New Member
58 Posts |
 Posted - 01 October 2010 : 17:24:10
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hi all,
I'm on my third year of an ipa.
i've kind of asked this before but can somebody please tell me why when calculating the ipa, they won't allow anything for my daughter at university. her student loan doesn't cover her rent and her grant is based on my earnings irrespecive of my personal circumstances. she doesn't yet have a part-time job (though she has been for interviews and is desperate herself to work) so obviously i'm paying as much as i can for her (but mostly borrowing it from my dad to do this) until she gets that job.
i don't understand my ipa decision when the government's own website states the following:
Student finance: As the parent or partner of a student, you may be expected to make a contribution towards their living costs – but you won’t be liable to repay any student loans they take out.
What's expected of parents and partners?
If you’re the parent or partner of a student, you may be expected to make a contribution towards their living costs while they’re at university or college.
How your contribution is assessed
Student Finance England (or your local authority, if they’re handling the application) will look at the information you supply in support of the student’s application. Based on your circumstances and household income, they will then decide whether you’re expected to make a contribution - and if so, how much.
The ‘income assessment’ - which determines how much help the student gets - will assume you’re making this level of contribution. So if you don’t contribute, the student is unlikely to have enough money to fund their studies.
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so it is clear that one government agency assumes (and expects) me to make a contribution to my daughter's upkeep but another government agency doesn't recognise this obligation and tells me i must pay from the few quid of disposable income they left me with.
things would be a bit easier for me to swallow but this is my fifth child at university, the last daughter completing her degree earlier this year. over the years i've done what the government expects of me as a parent and contributed to all their studies but i've reached the point now, years of never having money at the end of a month, the indignity of bankruptcy, two further years of trying to make monthly ipa payments and the prospect of another year borrowing money to pay the ipa back - at this rate i'm gonna end up bankrupt again cos of the financial terms of my bankruptcy!!!
or i could just give up work, get the ipa ended and live off the state for a while!!
but before i do something that drastic, can somebody please tell me how i can get an unreasonable o/r to see that i'm drowning here and need some help to get through the next year.
what are my options anybody?
thanks all. |
Edited by - bang up on 01 October 2010 17:29:39 |
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gettingoutofdebt
forum expert
2418 Posts |
Posted - 01 October 2010 : 19:02:32
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Are you in an IPA (Income Payment Agreement) or an IVA (Individual Voluntary Agreement)? An IPA only lasts 36 months (3 yrs) so if you are on your 3rd year then it must nearly be over?
I can't say for sure but chances are it is because your daughter isn't considered dependent upon you as she is over 18 and no longer resides with you.
Being a student 10 years ago I completely agree that the that basing student fees on the income of the parent(s) is completely wrong. I was a mature student so the 'parent rules' didn't affect me but there were a few people on my course that had to leave the course early due to financial reasons, which just isn't right, especially as these students left in the 3rd year so, essentially the first 2 years of their studies were a complete waste of their time.
Unfortunately, giving up your job and being dependant upon the state can, in some cases, mean you are financially better off but if you are in the 3rd year of your IPA you should only have a few months to complete your payments. |
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Skippy
forum expert
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 01 October 2010 : 19:03:42
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Hi, I can't comment on whether you should be allowed to support your daughter as I don't understand how this works. Hopefully Bigal will pick up on this as he worked for the OR's office until recently.
I'm concerned about you saying that you are borrowing money to pay your IPA. If you are really struggling please ask Moon Beever to send you a new I & E form as you shouldn't be struggling to make the payments - the idea is they are affordable and you have a fresh start.
View my blog at http://skippy13.blogs.iva.co.uk/
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money.
Last IPA payment made on 28th June 2010 - it's over at last! |
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bang up
New Member
58 Posts |
Posted - 01 October 2010 : 20:39:03
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thanks guys - was basically just fed up earlier - trapped by the government's double standards (if that's the right term for it) but feeling a bit better now cos i do only have another 11 months of the ipa which makes me better off than some people i guess.
think i will ask for a new i&e form and see what happens.
regards |
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Jane.l
Average Member
511 Posts |
Posted - 02 October 2010 : 10:08:26
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This is why we fought against an IPA (controversial, I know) but we had to support our daughter through uni too, the OR did not allow us to provide her food, etc, she lived at home and travelled into uni but as she had no job, we had to provide clothing, food, gas, electric, etc. She received a grant but it only just covered her train fares and books she needed for her course and that was it.
We were lucky as we did not get an IPA and so were able to do this, but it was hard.
I don't think ORs will allow a cost for supporting over 18s as they think they should be getting a job, but we all know how hard that is nowadays! but if you are already in a IPA and struggling, you should discuss it with the OR and maybe get it reduced |
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Bigal4787
forum expert
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 03 October 2010 : 01:03:32
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When assessing a bankrupt's income as to whether an IPA is viable, the examiner (the examiner basically acts on behalf of the OR) has to consider:
Where the bankrupt appears to have income in excess of what is required to pay for his/her reasonable domestic needs and those of his/her family
Now this is where what is and what isn't allowed is open to interpretation by different examiners, and different offices as to what constitutes domectic needs. I never had to deal with a case involving this,but my interpretation would be that even though your daughter is at university, and the government asks you to contribute to her living costs, then this could still be interpreted as domestic needs, as if she wasn't at University then she would be at home. Therefore, you could put this forward to support your inclusion of contributions for your daughter.
You should remember that this is only an opinion expressed to formulate an argument to put forward, and will be entirely up to the examiner and OR dealing with your case whether they accept as again it is their interpretation not mine that will prevail.
Big Al |
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