Support for Families

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Support for Families

This page is a guide for full time students who are expecting or have a child or children.

Some of this information will be of relevance to part-time students - please contact the Student Advice Centre for more information. It is not however appropriate for international students. If you are an international student in financial difficulty please contact the Student Advice Centre.

Expecting a child

Student Loan

If you are expecting a baby, you will still be entitled to the same amount of student support until your baby is born

Benefits

Similarly, you will not be entitled to benefits unless you already have dependants, but the expectant mother will be entitled to free prescriptions and free dental treatment. You can apply by completing form FW8 available from your doctor, midwife or health visitor. Free vitamins will also be available from child health and maternity clinics.

Sure Start maternity grants

You qualify for a £500 maternity grant if you or your partner are receiving certain benefits. These are:

Income support
income-based job seekers allowance (including hardship payments)
child tax credit paid at a rate that exceeds the family element
working tax credit which includes the disability or severe disability element.
You can claim any time from 11 weeks before the expected week of birth until three months afterwards. You should claim on form Sure Start SF100 available from your local Social Security office.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) paid by the employer

As a full time student it is unlikely that you will qualify for SMP because you need to have earned above the National Insurance lower earnings limit (£87.00 per week at April 2007). You also need to have continuously worked with the same employer for at least 26 weeks up to 15th week before the baby is born. The earliest you can claim is the 11th week before the week the baby is due.

SMP is paid for up to 26 weeks. You must tell your employer at least four weeks before you intend to stop work. For the first six weeks you will receive 90% of your average weekly earnings and for the remaining 20 you will be paid whichever is the lesser of £112.75 or 90% of your average weekly earnings.

Maternity Allowance (MA)

You may be able to claim MA if you do not satisfy the conditions of SMP but have been employed or self employed for at least 26 weeks out of 66 week period running up to and including the week before the baby is due and you have earned at least £30.00 a week.

MA is paid for 26 weeks at £112.75 a week (or 90% of the woman’s average weekly earnings if that sum is less than £112.75 a week). MA will start at the 11th week before the baby is due. To apply complete and return MA1 form to your local Social Security or Jobcentre Plus office.

New Born Baby Fund

LUU operates a New Born Baby Fund for those in financial difficulty. We may be able to loan you essential equipment needed for babies up to 3 months old. You can contact The Student Advice Centre for more details.

Access to Learning Fund

If you have taken out your full entitlement to a Student Loan you can apply to the Access to Learning Fund. You will need to collect a form from the Student Advice Centre and produce full documentation of your income and outgoings. If your application is successful you may be awarded a grant which is non-repayable.

Support for students with children

Adult Dependants' Allowance

If you have a husband, wife or partner or another member of your family who depends on you financially, you may be eligible to claim up to £2,510 a year depending on your income and the income of your adult dependants. Payments are made with your Student Loan.

Parents' Learning Allowance

If you have at least one dependant child you may be able to claim up to £1,435 a year for help with course related costs. This replaces the Travel, Books and Equipment Grant.

How much you receive depends on your income, and the income of your partner. It is paid with your Student Loan.

This income is not taken into account for Benefit purposes.

Childcare Grant

If you are a full-time student with dependant children in registered and approved childcare you can receive this help with childcare. You are not eligible if you, or your husband or wife, or partner receives the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit from the Inland Revenue.

The amount is based on actual childcare costs. The Allowance for one child is up to £148.75 a week (85% of the actual costs of up to £175 a week) throughout the year. For two children or more the allowance is up to £255 a week (85% of the actual costs of up to £300 a week).This is paid with your Student Loan.

This income is not taken into account for Benefit income purposes.

Child Tax Credit (CTC) paid by the Inland Revenue

Is available to support families with children. It is paid directly into the Bank account of the person in the family who is mainly responsible for looking after the children.

You do not have to be in paid work to receive Child Tax Credit.

Students with children are entitled to make a claim, as long as you are over 16 and responsible for one or more children. You may qualify for CTC at a higher rate if you have a child under one year old or have a child with a disability. Child Tax Credit has the Dependants' Grant for children.

If you receive the maximum amount of CTC, you should be entitled to free school meals for your children, unless you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit.

Visit our pages about Tax Credits for more information or visit the Inland Revenue website.

Extra help for lone parents

Benefits
As a lone parent you may be entitled to some benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit. These benefits are 'means tested' so during term time your student income is normally too high, but it is likely that during the 10 weeks of the long summer vacation you will be able to receive them.

The relationship between student support and benefits is complex, so if you are a lone parent we would advise you to contact the Student Advice Centre

Horizons Grants
This is a new charitable scheme for lone parents who are finding it hard to afford the costs of school uniforms and school trips, or costs associated with their own education or training.

Have a look at www.yourhorizons.com/ or call the Family Welfare Association on 020 7254 6251 for more information.

University of Leeds LifeLong Learning Centre

The University's Lifelong Learning Centre provides support and resources for students combining study with bringing up a family. Have a look at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/lifelonglearningcentre/students/parents.html