NOVEMBER 21, Salford Support Fund Guidance MONEY ADVICE & FUNDS SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

Transcription

1 NOVEMBER 21, 2017 Salford Support Fund Guidance MONEY ADVICE & FUNDS SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

2 Contents 1. Introduction What is the Salford Support Fund? Eligibility and priority groups Application & Assessment Periods Treatment of Income for Undergraduate Students Income disregarded in the assessment Income included in the assessment Other income Assumed Income Treatment of Income for Postgraduate Students Notional Postgraduate Income (NPI) Treatment of Other Income Postgraduate Social Work Bursary Treatment of Expenditure (Undergraduate & Postgraduate) Composite Living Costs (CLC) Variable Expenditure Capped Expenditure Accommodation Travel to University Long term prescription costs Course costs Other Essential Expenditure Unforeseen exceptional costs Treatment of Debts Non-priority debts Priority debts Assessment Outcome Part-time Assessments Income included in the assessment Expenditure included in the assessment: Assessment Outcome Contact

3 1. Introduction 1.1 What is the Salford Support Fund? The Salford Support Fund is provided by the University of Salford and is used, in line with NASMA guidance, to assist students who are experiencing financial difficulties during the academic year and/or considering leaving higher education because of financial problems. In addition, the Salford Support Fund can be used to pay for the first 200 that is not funded by the Government to those students who are in receipt of DSA and require a computer. Each application is assessed individually against set criteria and is based on the evidence provided by the students. There is no guarantee that an applicant will receive funding and there is no automatic entitlement to a payment from the Fund. The Salford Support Fund is a cash limited fund which is subject to early closure in the event of funding coming to an end. The Salford Support Fund is partially funded by charitable donations from alumni of the University of Salford who give to the Salford Advantage Fund in support of current students. Purpose of the Guidance document This document provides detailed information on how the Salford Support Fund operates and ensures that there is consistency and clarity amongst stakeholders about the criteria used to assess applications. Salford Support Fund cannot be used for: Payments towards non-priority debts unless there is evidence that you have sought debt counselling, have set up minimum debt repayments and are no longer using the credit facility Payment of course related costs above the standard allowance Students whose additional need is caused by the non-payment of parental contributions assessed by Student Finance England or the NHS unless a clear relationship breakdown can be demonstrated Payment of living costs for part-time students. The Salford Support Fund cannot pay for any tuition fees 1.2 Eligibility and priority groups Who is eligible to apply? Home students who fall under the following categories can apply to the Fund: 2

4 Full and part-time undergraduates (including distance learners) Full and part-time postgraduates (including distance learners) following a course that is a minimum of one year and providing the part-time students are studying at least 50% of a full-time course for courses starting before 1 September 2012 and at least 25% of a full-time course for courses starting on or after 1 September NHS students (both means-tested and non-means-tested Bursary holders and NHS salaried employees). All seconded NHS undergraduate students must apply to Student Finance England for funding before applying to SSF. Students who are eligible for the Maintenance Loan must have requested the full loan entitlement and usually have received the first instalment before receiving any payment from the fund. Residence Conditions To be eligible for the Salford Support Fund you must normally be able to satisfy 3 requirements relating to your residence and immigration status on the first day of the first academic year of your course. On that day you must: Have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands throughout the three-year period preceding that date other than wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education Be ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Be settled in the UK under the terms of the Immigration Act 1971, in other words without being subject to any restriction on the period for which you may stay. You may still be eligible even if you do not satisfy the above criteria. (For more details please refer to the UKCISA Student Support pages). Eligible groups are: EU nationals in receipt of full statutory support. Refugees, their spouses / civil partners, children or stepchildren Persons who have been informed by the Home Office that although you do not qualify as a refugee, you have been granted Humanitarian Protection, their spouses / civil partners, children or stepchildren. EEA migrant workers, Swiss employed person, their spouses / civil partners, children and stepchildren. Child of Swiss National or Child of Turkish Worker Priority Groups Undergraduate students - full-time Students with children (especially lone parents) Students with a disability, especially where disabled students allowance (DSA) is unable to meet particular costs, and the institution has no legal responsibility to do so 3

5 Mature students, especially those with existing financial commitments, including priority debts Students from low income families (where parent(s) are on means-tested benefits) Students who have entered higher education from care, from foyers, who are homeless, estranged from their parents or who act as carer for another adult Students receiving the final year rate of loan who are in financial difficulty. Postgraduate students - full-time Students with children Students with a disability, especially where the DSA is unable to meet particular costs, and the institution has no legal responsibility to do so Students who are self-funding Students who have entered higher education from care, from foyers, who are homeless, estranged from their parents or who act as carer for another adult If you are a self-funding postgraduate student you need to have made realistic provision at the start of the course to fund both your tuition fees and living costs. Where it is deemed that students have not done so, a payment from the fund may not be made. A Notional Postgraduate Income will be included in all PG assessments were no financial provision has been put in place. 1.3 Application & Assessment Periods Part-time and full-time students can apply from 9am on Monday 25th September 2017 until 5pm on Friday 7th September Final year students must apply at least 6 weeks before their course end date. Part-time students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) will be assessed over 39 weeks. Full-time postgraduate students will be assessed over 52 weeks. Full-time undergraduate students will be assessed over 52 weeks unless in their final year. Final year undergraduate students will be assessed over 39 weeks. Final year undergraduate students who are re-sitting exams in the summer period will be able to reapply to the fund to be assessed for an additional 13 weeks. 4

6 2. Treatment of Income for Undergraduate Students 2.1 Income disregarded in the assessment Grants and Loans for tuition fees Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) HE Grant (old system students) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) / Attendance Allowance Child Benefit / Guardian s Allowance/ Adoption Allowance Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Local Authority Care Leaver s Bursary 2.2 Income included in the assessment Student Maintenance Loan (any amount over 1,869 for students who commenced in or after September 2016) Adult Dependants Grant (maximum amount 2,834) Childcare Grant (SFE maximum amount per week for one child and per week for two or more children; NHS maximum amount for one child and for two or more children) Parents Learning Allowance (maximum amount 1,617) HE Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant (any amount over 1,869) Institutional Bursaries awarded on income grounds (any amount over 360) NHS Bursary or Social Work Bursary Parental contribution (as assessed by Student Finance) Actual parental contribution beyond the assumed income Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) Child Tax Credit (minus any disability element) Working Tax Credit Pension Credit Income support Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit Child support maintenance Universal Credit Net basic earnings (part-time students and partners only) Savings / occupational pension / investment income beyond the assumed income 2.3 Other income The benefits listed below form part of the assumed income for full-time students. For part-time students and for students spouses or partners, they are included in the assessment as income. Statutory Sick Pay 5

7 Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Statutory Maternity Pay Maternity Allowance Retirement Pensions Bereavement Benefits Carer s Allowance Contribution-based JSA If you have a partner with no income, the reason for this should be explained in your personal statement. Please note, either the Adults Dependants Grant or an estimated benefit income will be included in the assessment in this case. Another full-time student cannot be claimed as a dependant. If you are under 25 on 1 September 2017 you cannot claim a partner as a dependant but can claim a spouse or civil partner. 2.4 Assumed Income It is expected that your income will be supplemented from part-time work, vacation work, bank overdrafts (regardless of level), savings and additional parental support (if applicable). The actual amount that you earn from part-time income is not included in the assessment, instead an assumed amount will be added as follows: Students with dependants or who are unable to work due to disability or ill health 0 Final year students 623 Non-final-year students 1868 Summer Assumed Income 623 Administrators have the discretion to reduce or remove the assumed income level for students with caring responsibilities or for those students who are repeating elements of their course and as a result have a heavy academic workload. However, other types of benefit income may be included instead. 3. Treatment of Income for Postgraduate Students 3.1 Notional Postgraduate Income (NPI) The starting point for treatment of postgraduate income is the notional postgraduate income (NPI) which will be applied to all full-time postgraduate students assessments. This approach is used because, as a postgraduate student, you are 6

8 expected to make reasonable provision for your support. The Salford Support Fund is intended as a safety net for students in financial difficulty, not as a main source of support. The NPI assumes that all students will have made provision for a basic level of income from which to support themselves. It can be from a variety of sources, e.g. grants, scholarships, part-time work, Professional and Career Development Loans, Postgraduate Loans or additional parent/spouse support where appropriate. Net income, and any partner/spouse s net income, over and above the NPI is counted in full (the partner s essential expenditure will be included in full to balance this). This includes income, where appropriate, from: Tax credits Benefits Occupational pensions Savings above the NPI amount If your partner is sponsoring you, then only your partner s net income above the NPI will be taken into account. However, your partner s net income should be sufficient to sponsor you on your course and still have enough money to cover their own basic living costs. If the student has not made adequate provision, the NPI must still be applied. Student Weekly NPI Annual (52 weeks) Student with no dependants 177 9,204 Student with dependants (who are financially reliant on the student) or student unable to work due to a disability 142 7,384 The following will be included if annual income exceeds the NPI: Means-Tested Benefits Income Support Housing Benefit Income-based Jobseekers Allowance Council tax Benefit Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Pension Credit 7

9 Earnings-Related Benefits The following are not included in the assessment as they are included as part of the NPI figure: Contribution-based Jobseeker s Allowance Statutory Maternity Pay Maternity Allowance Statutory Sick Pay Carer s Allowance Retirement Pension Bereavement Benefit The above is included if it is the spouse / partner s income in which case the spouse / partner s essential expenditure is also included. 3.2 Treatment of Other Income The following types of income will be taken into account if the combined amount is higher than the Notional Postgraduate Income (unless it is being used for tuition fees): Social Work Bursary or NHS Bursary Postgraduate Loan Savings Net earnings (student) Net earnings (spouse / partner) Occupational Pension Professional and Career Development Loan (living costs part) Scholarship 3.3 Postgraduate Social Work Bursary The basic bursary is 3, per annum (which includes for travel to placement) plus an additional means tested maintenance bursary up to 2,634 can be awarded. If you are awarded a means-tested bursary, you may also be eligible for an additional Parents Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant and Adult Dependants Grant (if applicable) If you have a high household income you may only receive a partial means-tested bursary or none at all. Not every Social Work student will receive a Social Work Bursary due to allocation restrictions. 4. Treatment of Expenditure (Undergraduate & Postgraduate) 8

10 4.1 Composite Living Costs (CLC) CLC amounts have been set in line with the DWP figures for the calculation of Income Support. The CLC amount includes expenditure for the following items: Gas Electricity Water TV licence Food Laundry Clothes Telephone Contents Insurance Entertainment Clubs and societies The appropriate weekly composite living costs are included in the assessment: Student profile Amount per week Single 78 Student with partner 122 Children* (each) 72 Children can be counted as dependants up to the age of 19 if they are in full-time education (below higher education level). In addition, an extra one-off cost of 20 (family premium) is added where a student has at least one child. 4.2 Variable Expenditure The following expenses are listed on the application form and documentary evidence will need to be provided to support these costs. These include: Rent / Mortgage Travel to University Car finance Disability costs not covered by DSA Childcare costs Council tax if the student lives with a partner liable for council tax Life / Buildings / Contents Insurance Long term prescription costs / other medication Child Support Maintenance 9

11 4.3 Capped Expenditure The University has discretion to determine what is classed as reasonable expenditure for the above items. Therefore some variable expenditure will be capped at a pre-determined amount and in other categories a standard level of expenditure will be included Accommodation Rent / Mortgage Type of Student Accommodation Type Cap per week Single student Halls of residence per week (based on 42 week contract) Single student Private rented, Housing Association or shared house per week Single student Mortgaged property per week Couple no children Rented or mortgaged property per week Student with one or more children Single student Single student Two Homes Rented or mortgaged property Parental home where student is paying contributing to household costs. Lodging with relative or friend with no formal agreement but paying rent per week per week per week In exceptional cases the costs of running two homes can be included. For example, if you have left the family home to live in University accommodation during your course and your family have been left at home for reasons of partner s employment or children s schooling. Two rooms in University Accommodation If you take on a University contract for two rooms in your own name, the following caps will apply: If a child is part of the family, accommodation is capped at per week 10

12 If you are living with a partner, accommodation is capped at per week (for one year only) Travel to University Travel by public transport Travel to University by public transport in Greater Manchester will be based on the cost of a Student Bus Card, Monthly Adult Bus Saver, or Monthly Train card. Bus pass All students per week Train card All students per week No travel costs will be included if you are living within 1 mile of the University unless you have child dependants. Travel from outside Greater Manchester If you are travelling to the University of Salford from outside Greater Manchester there will be a cap of per week on the amount of weekly travel that can be included unless there is a reason for not moving closer, e.g., a mortgage, dependent children, disability or caring responsibilities, or if you are living with parents or family to reduce rent costs. The cap of is for public transport or the combined cost of car insurance, tax and petrol. Car travel The expenditure of running a car can be included if a you have: Children and therefore need a car to take the children to school, childminder, etc An illness or disability and would find it difficult to use public transport A course which includes compulsory placements during term-time An especially onerous or difficult journey by public transport. The following expenditure can be included in the assessment: Car costs: up to per week (including insurance and road tax) Car finance: up to per week Petrol costs: 0.25 per mile Petrol costs are calculated from your home to University based on 5 days per week. Travel to childcare/school may also be calculated in the journey if you have dependent children. For a partner who is working petrol costs are included for 5 days per week. 11

13 Travel to placement If you are on an Allied Health Care course you can reclaim high travel costs (for distances outside of your usual journey from home to University) from your funding provider (NHS or SLC) so we only include the cost of travel to University. Social Work students receive an extra amount for travel so we do not include travel to placement in term-time. For summer awards travel to placement can be included. Travel to and from parental home If you return to your parental home during vacation time (Christmas, Easter and summer) the cost of 3 return trips to the parental home can be included Long term prescription costs Weekly cost of prescriptions is 2.00 based on the annual prepayment certificate of These costs will not be included if you are receiving Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit AND your gross income is below 16,000 for tax credit purposes as prescriptions can be claimed free in this case Course costs Course costs are capped at the following amounts All full-time students 400 All part-time students 200 This capped amount includes books, journals, stationery, specialist equipment, field trips. etc Other Essential Expenditure Hospital Visits A realistic estimate of the costs of essential visits can be included, for long distance visiting the cost will be capped at a maximum of per visit. Caring for a relative If you are caring for a relative either at weekends or during holidays or if the relative is living with you, a level of expenditure associated with caring can be included: 8 per day up to a maximum of 3 days per week. Dependent children who do not live with student 12

14 If you have a child who does not live with you and you are not receiving Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit for them then only the following will be included in the assessment: Any maintenance payment to the other parent if there is evidence of these payments being made regularly. If the child stays with you certain days a week, a proportion of the child CLC of 72 per week and family element of 20 will be included: 13per day up to a maximum of 3 days per week. If the child does not stay with you but you visit your child, the cost of travel to where the child lives if outside Greater Manchester once a week/month will be included plus for food. If the children live abroad, then no expenditure can be included for them. Dependent spouse/ partner who does not live with the student If you have a dependent spouse who lives abroad, you will be assessed as single unless you are receiving an Adult Dependant s Allowance. If you have a spouse / partner living elsewhere in the UK and you are not separated, we can include the spouse / partner in the assessment as long as we have enough evidence of partner s income and expenditure Unforeseen exceptional costs A discretionary assessment may be carried out if you are in need of support to replace essential things such as a boiler or car repairs when a car is essential. This may also include travel to visit sick family or after a family bereavement or other unexpected costs. You do not necessarily need to be in long term hardship to receive this so long as you are not able to meet the costs immediately. These awards would be up to a maximum amount of 1500 and can only be given if you have not already exceeded the maximum award amount. Please note all repairs for household equipment, car or other essential repairs must be evidenced by an invoice or written quote. Any major repairs such as boiler or roof must be necessary to the welfare of the family and there must be evidence that this is essential repair work. All replacement items must have an invoice / proof of purchase unless there are mitigating circumstances, e.g. house fire or fleeing abusive partner. Please note the Fund cannot support car replacement. The Discretionary non-standard award cannot be used to pay any debts, as this would go through the normal Salford Support Fund assessment procedure. 13

15 You need to show that you are currently not able to meet these costs. Evidence such as invoice/proof of purchase or quotes need to be dated within the past 30 days otherwise we cannot consider them in the assessment. 5. Treatment of Debts 5.1 Non-priority debts In providing help with debts we must distinguish between priority and non-priority debts. Non-priority debts are those where non-payment will not result in the loss of the debtor s home, liberty, essential goods or services. Students with debts are encouraged to seek advice from a trained debt advisor. Where a creditor takes court action to recover money only, and the debtor completes the court forms, the court will determine a rate of payment that takes account of the debtor s income and expenditure. The following are non-priority debts: Credit, Charge and Store Cards Doorstep collected loans Catalogue debts Debts to relatives Water debts Any loans not secured on your home Bank overdrafts County court judgements Income Support overpayments Gas and electricity debts from a previous address and previous supplier Included as standard expenditure, any realistic weekly or monthly repayment arrangement for a non-priority debt where you have stopped using the source of credit evidence must be provided for this. Not included any credit card balance, minimum repayment or overdraft balance Not included any non-priority debts as lump sums 5.2 Priority debts If non-payment of the debt would give the creditor the right to deprive you of your home, liberty, or essential goods and services, the debt will be considered a priority. The following can be considered as priority debts: Rent and mortgage arrears Council Tax arrears Loans secured against the debtor s home National Insurance arrears 14

16 Gas and electricity arrears Magistrate s Court fines TV Licence Benefit overpayment Child Maintenance arrears Income Tax and VAT arrears Hire purchase for goods that are essential Included any re-scheduled payments on priority debts as essential weekly expenditure, e.g. where you have rent arrears and an extra weekly payment has been imposed towards these rent arrears Where no re-scheduled payments have been agreed, priority debts will be considered for a non-standard award and not included as standard expenditure. Awards will be based on the minimum payment required to prevent further action for the rest of the year or up to our capped maximum whichever is lower. The following priority debts may be included in the assessment providing that evidence of the debt is dated within 30 days of the application being made. A nonstandard award of 50% of the debt up to a maximum of 350 may be made to prevent further action being taken. Gas and electricity arrears Council Tax arrears Bailiff s Letters Rent / Mortgage Arrears Council Property / Local Housing Association If an agreed or imposed a weekly repayment has been set this will be included as expenditure in the assessment. Evidence of the agreed repayments must be provided. If a Notice of Eviction or Re-possession has been given then a Non-Standard Award to prevent loss of home may be considered up to a maximum award of 700 or 50% of the debt, whichever is lower. If no agreement has been made on rent arrears but a letter requesting you clear your arrears or further action will be taken has been issued, a maximum award of 350 can be considered or 50% of the debt, whichever is lower. 15

17 University Accommodation University Accommodation debts are treated as priority only if you are still living in the accommodation and are in danger of being evicted before the end of the contract. An accommodation debt where you have left the accommodation will be treated as non-priority. An accommodation debt where you are allowed to remain in the accommodation until the end of the contract will be treated as non-priority. Private Landlords For arrears with a private landlord, evidence must be provided on headed paper; informal arrears will not be considered as a priority debt. If the landlord has commenced Court Proceedings the debt can be considered under the Eviction / Re-possession guideline for Council / Housing Association property. If the landlord has not begun court proceedings, but a letter in which the landlord is threatening to take court action if the arrears are not cleared has been issued, a maximum award of 350 can be considered or 50% of the debt, whichever is lower. Mortgages If you have mortgage arrears you will need to provide evidence that you have discussed the matter with your mortgage provider and have suggested an extra monthly amount towards arrears. If this is reasonable the additional payment can be included in the standard assessment but only from the time extra payments begin. 5. Assessment Outcome All income and expenditure included in the Salford Support Fund assessment is subject to evidence provided. Where no evidence is provided the amount may not be included. If you are not receiving income which the assessor can see you should be entitled to, this income may be assumed into the assessment figures. Once an assessment is complete, if the income level is assessed as higher than the expenditure amount then no award will be made from the Salford Support Fund. If the income level is lower than the expenditure amount this will indicate there is an additional need. In this case 50% of this additional need will be paid as a grant to non-priority groups and 70% to those in a priority group. 16

18 6. Part-time Assessments Part-time students are assessed based on a threshold model, this is because parttime students would be expected to have a higher level of income compared to fulltime students due to their assumed availability for employment alongside study. 6.1 Income included in the assessment The following income sources for the student and student s partner (if applicable) are calculated to determine an annual income amount. Employment grants or bursaries means-tested benefits The annual income is then reduced by the following: 2,000 if student lives with their partner 2,000 for the eldest dependent child 1,000 for each further dependent child This total will then determine which income band the student falls into. Band 1 Below 16,846 Band 2 16,846-25,423 Band 3 25,424-26,029 Band 4 26,030-28,065 If the student s annual income is above 28,065 then they do not qualify for an assessment for the Salford support fund. 6.2 Expenditure included in the assessment: Books and equipment 200 set figure Childcare costs up to a maximum of 2 days per week. Petrol costs will be calculated at 0.25 per mile up to a maximum of 2 days per week and capped at 50 per week. Bus travel within Greater Manchester will be capped at 4.00 per day up to a maximum of 2 days per week 6.3 Assessment Outcome If the assessment confirms that the student has an additional need then the following amounts will be granted to the student based on their income band: Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 70% of additional need awarded 52.50% of additional need awarded 35% of additional need awarded 17.50% of additional need awarded 17

19 7. Contact If you have any questions or you are having trouble with your application you can contact the team via 18