I am a lone parent, can I get any extra help?
If you are bringing up children on your own, you will be eligible to apply for the Lone Parents' Grant. This grant is income assessed and the most we can pay each year is £1,305. You can also claim the Child Tax Credit, whether or not you are in paid work. The Child Tax Credit will also cover free school meals. You can visit the HM Revenue and Customs website or call them on 0845 300 3900 to find out if you are eligible.
What do I have to do to prove that I am a lone parent?
You must send us a copy of evidence each year to prove that you are a lone parent. Examples of the evidence we will accept are:
- a copy of the front page of your tax credit award and the relevant page which shows you have made a claim as an individual;
- a copy of a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions which show you receive benefit as a lone parent;
If you cannot give us one of the above, we may accept a letter, on company header paper, from a professional person who knows your circumstances and can confirm that you are a lone parent. A professional person can be, for example, a doctor, lawyer, teacher, police officer or minister of religion.
You must also send a photocopy of one school age dependent's full birth certificate (not an abbreviated copy) to support your application for the first year of your course only.
As a lone parent, do I get any help towards childcare?
Your college or university have a childcare fund to help towards your costs. They are responsible for deciding which students should receive payments and how much each payment should be.
However, within the Childcare Fund is a Lone Parents Childcare Grant (LPCG) element which will be an entitlement payment of up to £1,215 per year to all eligible higher education students who are lone parents and who have formal registered childcare expenses while studying.