Situations Changed - Help

MarkJD

Hey All,

I got help before about what i may or may not be entitled to going back to college as a mature student.

At the time i guess i would of been classed in the Independant category. I was working up until the start of college, i was living at home so i was told it would come down to a means test based off my parents salary and my own (which more than likely meant i wouldnt get any grant, which i think is idiotic but thats neither here nor there, only because it would include my parents salary)

Anyways as of the start of August i wont have any income and i will also not be living at home. The situation has changed and im a little confused what i may or may not be entitled to from now on. I guess this would put me into the Dependant category

I wont be working, ill be living at a friends (paying any money i can towards electricity,gas,food etc) It wont be classed as me actually paying him rent rather paying towards bills etc to help out when i can.

Where does this leave me? I tried following the link posted in the sticky at the top of the page from Dónal but it seems down or no longer active (http://www.mygrant.ie/start.html)

Thanks all!

smilerxxx

Hi mark,

The grant is a bloody pain, so I'm with you on this. The means test is based solely on your circumstances in 2009 unfortunately. So if we say, in 2009 you loved with your parents, and ye were all working full time, then it would be based on all three of ye're salarys (yes its a f*&king joke). The cut off point is a combined household income of around 51K which is nonsense for 3 people.

Now there is an option of submitting a change of circumstances appeal with your grant, this would explain you are now unemployed and they may just take your parents salary (but with the way county councils go, this may not help at all and your parents may also be over the threshold)

You can't lose anything by applying.

Regarding living with your mates, they will only accept this as independent living if you lived there in 2009. Oct 09 being the cut off. So basically you'd need a bill of on or before oct 09 in that new address.

But you can prepare this now in order to apply for the grant in 2011. So when you move in with your mates, make sure your bank, revenue, and mobile phone bills go there, with a date before oct 2010. This will class you as independent living for 2011 application. Then it would only check your salary for 2010, which would be very little as you've been made unemployed.

I hope this helps a little

MarkJD

Oh i didnt realise this at all!

Thanks a bunch of that info. Well 2009 was an odd one for me because i wasnt actually living at home until August 2009. I had previously been renting where my wages where soley paying the rent (€1300.00) but due to a paycut i could no longer afford it and had to move back home.

So when you say cut off do you mean everything after October 2009 if so that puts me back at square one.

I understand why there is a means system etc but im really pissed off about the whole process. Been bloody working since i was 14 never held my hand out for anything and now the very time i need a little help i cant? Total bull...

So should the grant be denied which will probably be the case (Over the cut off point between my own salary and my mother straight away) i am basically entitled to nothing because i cant go on the dole or JSA/JSB because ill be returning to college so the only other option would be a loan but that would be denied due to not working so i basically cant go? lol

I am looking for a part-time job however not much luck as of yet.. Bleh..

smilerxxx

PM'D you mark!!!

I know how you feel, Im in the exact same position, but i am determined to get something, i've never had a brass nickel off them before, but now im going in all guns blazing...

MarkJD

Haha couldnt of worded it better myself. Just got it there replied to you & thanks again!

MarkJD

Oh just a quick one in relation to the grant.

They way you said it was based off from October 2009 and all salaries would be taken into account. The fact iv stopped working since August would they only take into account my parents salary then? or would the salaries i earned from oct 2009 - aug 2010 be accounted for even though i dont have that anymore?