Terms & Conditions

[Joanne Ross]

We received a claim for HB & CTB from a lady who has suspended her course for 12 months from April 2006 to May 2007 because she was pregnant. Her Student loan has been paid upto June 2006. She made a claim for Income Support which was turned down on the grounds that she is classed as a Student until the is baby born. We initially took the same approach as the DWP and turned her down for HB&CTB.

Income Support has now been awarded from 25/08/06 when the baby was born & therefore we have put HB & CTB into payment.

Our Local Taxation section have not granted her a student exemption because they have deemed she does not qualify when she is not studying.

Are we able to pay HB & CTB from the date she suspended her course or if not from the date her loan ended as she would not be classed as a student until she resumes her studies in 12 months.

Any advise or thoughts would be appreciated.

🙂

[chris harvey]

I understand that students who are suspended from their course temporarily are still classed as students unless they abandon the course completely or are dismissed from it. Assuming the course is a full time one i think she will only become eligible from the Monday after her child was born. The only exceptions I am aware of, relate to people who have suspended their studies because they are ill or caring for someone who is ill. I can’t see that this applies in this case.

[Carol Meredith]

I agree with Chris. I have had a similar claim to this a while ago. |As she has not terminated her course or been dismissed from it she is still a student. However in our case Council Tax continued to give her an exemption.

[Joanne Ross]

She suspended her course due ot her pregnancy and the intention is to resume the course in 12 months where she left off.

Could her pregnancy be classed as sick?

[Anonymous]

Pregnancy is “a condition, not an illness”

[size=9:66575ca924]A. Doctor speaks[/size:66575ca924]

[andyrichards]

Actually in any case the provision for illness or caring only applies in the period from recovery to the date the college lets you back on the course. There’s no entitlement while you are actually ill or caring for someone, unless you’re in an eligible category anyway.

[Author]

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