Grrr, now ESRC have moved to giving universities control of payments I am left very poor over Xmas...UCL didn't sort out the payments in time so we were supposed to get cheques instead of it going into banks accounts. However, someone has screwed up royally, spelling my name wrong, meaning that when I went to collect my cheque- there was none! And as its the last day, there's nothing they can do, they have no money to give me. They say the final cheque wont be ready til the end of Jan! I actually cried in the finance office.

What should I do? Who should I speak to, my rent alone (due on Jan the 1st!) is £500 alone. I have been given £300 from petty cash from my dept, but that's going not going to last long.

Merry Bloody christmas

Hmm. I have no experience of UCL, but I'd suggest that you see if you can get something from UCL's hardship fund. There will be such a fund, the only difficulty may be getting hold of someone over Christmas. What about asking your supervisor what you can do? I guess that depends no what kind of a relationship you have with him/her/them.

Alternatively, could you get in touch with the funding body? If you're in London, three's a good chance that they may have offices there. Could you visit them in person?

I'm at UCL, hope you get this in time! Go to the Graduate School, it's in the North Cloisters I think. They are definitely able to give you a loan, especially if it's UCL's fault. I remember them mentioning it in one of my introductory lectures.

University bureaucracy can be a sodding nightmare: far too many administrators and no-one takes responsibility for anything. It was months before I got paid; I was borrowing off my parents, who luckily are in a position to help me. But I know how you feel: it can be like talking to a brick wall. Can you get a credit card to use in emergencies? (not that you should have to resort to that).

I just emailed to ask where my money was, an hour later a mail appeared 'It has only just come to our attention that we are now responsible for paying ESRC funded students their stipends'. How the f**k can they not have known till I asked? F'ing department couldnt organise the proverbial piss up in a brewery.

now mega flap to get forms filled in and signed to hopefully get money by 10th jan

I'm still trying to get my CASE stipend which the uni has had for 3 months but I can't find anyone who seems to know how I get it - very annoying! If this was a "real" job and this was our salaries getting messed up I'm sure we's be entitled to some kind of compensation!

Thank you! I thought I was the only one worried about this!

I basically run out of money before Christmas :( and have had the bank on my back about my account. Roll on tomorrows payments. I hope everything will run smoothly. Fingers crossed!