Grant and OPFP question?

araic26

Just a quick question!!

Is the grant taken into account as income that will be assessed for OPFP (One Parent Family Payment)??

Was told at my SW office that it is, but was told today by the Financial officer in the college that grant payments arent taken into account as income???
Very confused

rebecca 30

araic26 wrote: »

Just a quick question!!

Is the grant taken into account as income that will be assessed for OPFP (One Parent Family Payment)??

Was told at my SW office that it is, but was told today by the Financial officer in the college that grant payments arent taken into account as income???
Very confused

If you are getting rent allowance, then you cant get both, either you get the rent allowance or the grant, you can keep your single parents, you just have to see which you worth more to you,

araic26

Thanks Rebecca but not the answer Im looking for, possibly i may not have made myself clear.

Im in receipt of OPFP and also Im entitled to grant, which I have applied for and got confirmation that im getting it from County council office. So I gave copy of the confirmation letter to my Social welfare office, and they are sending that copy up to OPFP head office to re-assess my OPFP because they supposidly take the grant, maintenance part of it, as income, so its being means tested again.
But the finance officer in my college today told me that the maintenance part of the grant is NOT considered as income so it shouldnt be means tested. Nothing at all to do with rent allowance.

Any one have any ideas if they will drop my OPFP because of grant?
I know for FAS courses, you got your Fas payment and kept your OPFP and there was no means assessment on it, is this the same for grant??

danois

it didnt used to be means assesed when you could get the btea and the grant but now since you cant do that but as far as i know you can get the opfa and a grant and yes the grant is then classed as means if you want to pm what your rate of opfa is and what rate of grant you have been awarded i will work out how it will affect your opfa for you. Well try to lol took me a while to figure out mine but i got there in the end!!

amtaxi

Income Excluded

The following exclusions apply to all Schemes covered by this guideline:
Additional item that does not count as means for One Parent Family Payment.

• The maintenance portion of a Local Authority Higher Education Grant.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/pages/meansassess.aspx

You may be interested in having a look at the above - it clearly states that income from Dept of Ed is not counted as means for OPFP. However if you are been transferred from OPFP to BTEA then you do not qualify for the maintence grant, unfortunately the social welfare offices are now staffed with undertrained staff and sometimes (I have done it) it is necessary so inform them of the rules - i.e. you have no need to be reassessed as the grant does not count as income

sassypsych

It does not affect your OPFP. You didnt even have to send proof of your grant to the Social Welfare. The OPFP Department have confirmed this