Teen with learning disabilities made to pay Corseford College costs
The mother of a young woman with a severe learning disability says her council is demanding £166 a month to support her daughter attending college. Lorna Greenaway says her 19-year-old daughter has a mental age of five and has been attending Scotland's only dedicated college for school leavers with complex needs for two years.East Ayrshire Council, which pays for Gemma's care and support in relation to college, has instructed debt collectors to claw back thousands of pounds in costs, dating back to when she turned 18. The council said it followed a reassessment of what she was entitled to, but Gemma's mum believes her daughter should not have to pay to get an education.
The Corseford College campus, based at Inchinnan in Renfrewshire, takes students with complex needs up to the age of 25 from local authorities across the west of Scotland.Gemma's education is paid for by the Scottish government but local authorities pay for care, support and transport.
Final demand
Students from seven other local authority areas do not pay anything to their council to attend Corseford but East Ayrshire wants Gemma to pay back £5,500 to cover the past two years as well as next year.It told the BBC the charges were based on a reassessment of Gemma's disability benefits.Since last year, Gemma has been receiving invoices from her local authority in relation to her place at Corseford.The charges relate to "support" she receives in college plus transport costs but the council has not provided any detailed breakdown.It has also not explained why the charges date back to when Gemma turned 18 or why it has decided to charge when other councils do not.Gemma has now received a final demand from a debt recovery agency - who say they will only speak directly to her. But her mum says this isn't possible as Gemma's ability to communicate is around the level of a five year old.She said "My understanding is that no student in Scotland pays for education."I think it's an injustice to these young individuals with disabilities that they have to pay for their education."
Students attending Corseford can take part in vocational courses and qualifications, improve literacy and numeracy abilities, and learn vital IT skills. The site is run by the disability charity Capability Scotland.Ms Greenaway said Gemma's favourite part of the day was meeting her friends and art class.She said there had been a clear improvement in Gemma in the two years she had attended courses there.Liz McConnachie, head of Corseford College, said finances can prove a stumbling block for their students.She said: "Different local authorities have different approaches to it."Some councils are very accommodating, they look at the opportunities at Corseford College as being a positive transition and destination to continue education. "Others see the college as being day care – which it's not."
In a statement, East Ayrshire Council said: "There is no charge attributed for the college attendance. The attendance is not viewed as day care." The council said that if an individual requires transport to the college or additional support then this is assessed.It said the costs could be taken from disability benefits, as long as they were above a certain threshold.Ms Greenaway said she remained "stressed at the constant demands" to make payments, and she was concerned about setting a precedent.She said: "I feel if I pay for Gemma, any other student that follows through from East Ayrshire to this college, they will have to pay as well."She added that the whole situation is "definitely" forcing her to reconsider her daughter's future education."It is getting to the stage that for Gemma to continue there, it's probably going to have to come from our source of income," she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Tens of thousands on benefits to receive free payment worth over £290 this summer
TENS of thousands of carers will get a benefit cash boost of £293.50 next week. Some 90,000 will get the one-off extra payment between 18 and 19 June, but it's only available to those claiming either Carer Support Payment or Carer's Allowance in Scotland. 1 The Scottish Government hands out these extra payments, called Carer's Support Allowance, to unpaid carers twice a year. It gives extra financial support to people who are taking care of someone who is unwell or vulnerable. Carer's Allowance has replaced Carer Support Payment. Both are worth £83.30 a week, and you normally get paid every four weeks. The extra money is automatically paid into the same bank account as the one you normally get your benefit paid into. You should be sent a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made. If you haven't got a letter, or haven't been paid, by 30 June, call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. The next Carer's Allowance Supplement will be paid in December. benefits on 14 April, 2025. To be eligible for Carer Support Payment, you must: Be 16 or over Usually live in Scotland Provide care for 35 hours or more a week for someone who gets certain disability benefits Not earn more than £196 a week or £10,912 per year What if I don't live in Scotland? You can still claim Carer's Allowance if you don't live in Scotland - you just won't get the Carer Support Payment element. The benefit is paid to those caring for someone else (who is on benefits) for at least 35 hours a week. You don't have to be related to the person you care for, or live with them, to be eligible. If you claim Carer's Allowance you also receive National Insurance credits, which contribute to your NI record. This is a really important, as your NI record is used by the government to calculate how much state pension you can get. You need 35 full years of NI contributions to get the maximum amount, which is £230.25 a week. What if I'm not a carer? If you're not a carer but are struggling, check if you qualify for any benefits. You can use a benefits calculator to help check you are not missing out on money you are entitled to. Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. Your local council may have a Household Support Fund scheme for low income households. The government has supplied a £742million pool of cash to councils in England to dish out to struggling families. Depending on the help that your council is offering, you could get free cash and even supermarket vouchers. If you're struggling with your energy bills, see if there are any grants to help you clear any arrears.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Tens of thousands on benefits to receive free payment worth over £290 this summer
Struggling carers can get a one-off payment of £293.50 next week - see how to get it CASH BOOST Tens of thousands on benefits to receive free payment worth over £290 this summer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENS of thousands of carers will get a benefit cash boost of £293.50 next week. Some 90,000 will get the one-off extra payment between 18 and 19 June, but it's only available to those claiming either Carer Support Payment or Carer's Allowance in Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Person takes coins out of the purse Credit: Getty The Scottish Government hands out these extra payments, called Carer's Support Allowance, to unpaid carers twice a year. It gives extra financial support to people who are taking care of someone who is unwell or vulnerable. Carer's Allowance has replaced Carer Support Payment. Both are worth £83.30 a week, and you normally get paid every four weeks. The extra money is automatically paid into the same bank account as the one you normally get your benefit paid into. You should be sent a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made. If you haven't got a letter, or haven't been paid, by 30 June, call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. The next Carer's Allowance Supplement will be paid in December. You are eligible for the help if you were claiming either one of the two benefits on 14 April, 2025. To be eligible for Carer Support Payment, you must: Be 16 or over Usually live in Scotland Provide care for 35 hours or more a week for someone who gets certain disability benefits Not earn more than £196 a week or £10,912 per year What if I don't live in Scotland? You can still claim Carer's Allowance if you don't live in Scotland - you just won't get the Carer Support Payment element. The benefit is paid to those caring for someone else (who is on benefits) for at least 35 hours a week. You don't have to be related to the person you care for, or live with them, to be eligible. If you claim Carer's Allowance you also receive National Insurance credits, which contribute to your NI record. This is a really important, as your NI record is used by the government to calculate how much state pension you can get. You need 35 full years of NI contributions to get the maximum amount, which is £230.25 a week. What if I'm not a carer? If you're not a carer but are struggling, check if you qualify for any benefits. You can use a benefits calculator to help check you are not missing out on money you are entitled to. Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. Your local council may have a Household Support Fund scheme for low income households. The government has supplied a £742million pool of cash to councils in England to dish out to struggling families. Depending on the help that your council is offering, you could get free cash and even supermarket vouchers. If you're struggling with your energy bills, see if there are any grants to help you clear any arrears. British Gas and Octopus Energy offer financial assistance to customers in difficulty, with some schemes wiping as much as £2,000 off unpaid energy debts — depending on your situation.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Teen with learning disabilities made to pay Corseford College costs
The mother of a young woman with a severe learning disability says her council is demanding £166 a month to support her daughter attending college. Lorna Greenaway says her 19-year-old daughter has a mental age of five and has been attending Scotland's only dedicated college for school leavers with complex needs for two Ayrshire Council, which pays for Gemma's care and support in relation to college, has instructed debt collectors to claw back thousands of pounds in costs, dating back to when she turned 18. The council said it followed a reassessment of what she was entitled to, but Gemma's mum believes her daughter should not have to pay to get an education. The Corseford College campus, based at Inchinnan in Renfrewshire, takes students with complex needs up to the age of 25 from local authorities across the west of education is paid for by the Scottish government but local authorities pay for care, support and transport. Final demand Students from seven other local authority areas do not pay anything to their council to attend Corseford but East Ayrshire wants Gemma to pay back £5,500 to cover the past two years as well as next told the BBC the charges were based on a reassessment of Gemma's disability last year, Gemma has been receiving invoices from her local authority in relation to her place at charges relate to "support" she receives in college plus transport costs but the council has not provided any detailed has also not explained why the charges date back to when Gemma turned 18 or why it has decided to charge when other councils do has now received a final demand from a debt recovery agency - who say they will only speak directly to her. But her mum says this isn't possible as Gemma's ability to communicate is around the level of a five year said "My understanding is that no student in Scotland pays for education."I think it's an injustice to these young individuals with disabilities that they have to pay for their education." Students attending Corseford can take part in vocational courses and qualifications, improve literacy and numeracy abilities, and learn vital IT skills. The site is run by the disability charity Capability Greenaway said Gemma's favourite part of the day was meeting her friends and art said there had been a clear improvement in Gemma in the two years she had attended courses McConnachie, head of Corseford College, said finances can prove a stumbling block for their said: "Different local authorities have different approaches to it."Some councils are very accommodating, they look at the opportunities at Corseford College as being a positive transition and destination to continue education. "Others see the college as being day care – which it's not." In a statement, East Ayrshire Council said: "There is no charge attributed for the college attendance. The attendance is not viewed as day care." The council said that if an individual requires transport to the college or additional support then this is said the costs could be taken from disability benefits, as long as they were above a certain Greenaway said she remained "stressed at the constant demands" to make payments, and she was concerned about setting a said: "I feel if I pay for Gemma, any other student that follows through from East Ayrshire to this college, they will have to pay as well."She added that the whole situation is "definitely" forcing her to reconsider her daughter's future education."It is getting to the stage that for Gemma to continue there, it's probably going to have to come from our source of income," she said.
