Not alot of Benefits for students like me (Student Loans Co.)

Member Name: Scorpio21

Product:	Student Loans Co.
Date:	28/05/01 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Money for struggling students

Disadvantages: Still a struggle, Loan treated as an income

This has nothing to do with the students loan company, as I think they offer a good service to students. This opinion is about the Benefits Agency.

I thought I would write this opinion, as I don't think students are getting the help that they deserve from the NHS Benefits agency.

I have applied for help with dental fees on numerous occasions and have been told that I get too much student loan for them to help me more!

I was also appauled to find out that they take your student loan into account when determining how much they will allow you to pay for health costs.

What they don't understand is that our student loan is certainly not an income, as we will eventually have to pay it back!

It's like saying that, if we were earning a permanent income then would we pay it back to our employers?

Last year I filled in my form to claim for help with Health costs (such as dental fees, optician fees) and was told that I had to pay the first £22 towards dental treatment, which I didn't mind doing.

This year I filled in my form and was told I have to pay the first £45, which is a big increase from the previous year.

What the benefits agency doesn't understand is that the higher our loan, then the more help we are likely to need!

They are also not likely to believe, or take into account that some parents aren't as generous as others and that I have to pay rent to my parents.

Summary: