Student Services

The majority of students who study full time are not eligible to claim any welfare benefits, including Universal Credit. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule including;

• Students who are lone (single) parents
• Disabled students and students with ongoing health conditions who have Limited Capability for Work and are in receipt of a disability benefit such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Students with a non-student partner who are eligible for welfare benefits
• Couples who are both students and responsible for a child

Full time students are exempt from Council Tax liability.

If you were previously claiming welfare benefits such as Universal Credit solely due to low income and you do not belong to any of the above categories, you will not be able to continue to claim once you start your full-time studies, as the benefit rules do not allow this. You will need to notify your Universal Credit work coach through your online journal that you are a full-time student and your claim will be reassessed.

For Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit (Legacy Benefits) and Council Tax Support, whether you are a part-time student depends on your age and the level of the course.

You are a part-time student if you are studying but you:

• Are not in relevant education and
• Are not attending a full-time course.

If you started a full-time course and reduced your hours of attendance, you might still be treated as a full-time student rather than a part-time one.

For Universal Credit, you will be treated as a part time student if you are studying but

• You are not in relevant education, and
• You are not attending a full time course, and
• Your course does not stop you from doing your work related requirements.

You can still be entitled to most benefits while you are doing a part-time course.

If you are a full-time student, whether you can get benefits during time out from study depends on the reason for taking time out and the benefit concerned.

You can continue to get Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) during your time out from study if you are a student who can get these benefits while studying.

Illness or caring responsibilities

If you are a full-time student and you need to take time out, for example due to illness or because you need to care for someone temporarily, you still count as a full-time student. You will therefore only qualify for the benefits you could get while studying.

If you aren’t eligible for a student grant or loan, you may be entitled to Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support for up to a year once your illness or caring responsibilities have come to an end. This is while you are waiting to rejoin the course (for example, until the start of the next academic term).

You may be treated as having student support income, such as student loans or grants during this period.

Pregnancy

If you are a full-time student and you take time out from your studies because you are pregnant, you will not be able to get most means-tested benefits, unless you are a student who can qualify for these benefits while studying.

Once the baby is born, you may then be able to get

• Universal Credit
• Income Support if you are a lone parent
• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support (if you are a lone parent or a member of a couple who are responsible for a child and are both full-time students)
• Maternity Allowance or Statutory Maternity Pay if you have been working.

Other reasons

If you are a full-time student and are taking time out from your studies for other reasons, such as to resit exams, you will still be treated as a full-time student and will not be able to claim means-tested benefits, unless you are a student who can get these benefits while studying.

When you have completed your course, you may be able to claim benefits as you will no longer be classed as a full time student. The date you can claim from may be earlier than you think; you do not have to wait for your final results. Once you have actively completed your course, sat your last exam or submitted your final assignment etc you may be able to make an application.

If you feel you may have resits in the summer or you are intending to enrol onto another course in September, you will still no longer be classed as a full time student from your official course end date.

Claiming benefits while you are a student can be complicated as your Student Finance income will normally affect your claim for means-tested benefits including Universal Credit. How much benefit you get will depend on what income is counted in the assessment of your welfare benefits under the relevant welfare benefits rules.

You must tell each of the offices that pay your benefit(s) about your Student Finance income as well as any other sources of income you have.

If you meet the basic eligibility rules as a new claimant, you may be eligible for Universal Credit (UC). Universal Credit has replaced the 6 ‘legacy’ benefits for new claimants.

If you are already claiming so-called legacy benefits your eligibility for these may continue or you might be required to claim Universal Credit (UC), depending on your personal circumstances, for example, where you live or whether you have a disability or dependent children.

Further information about the 6 ‘Legacy’ benefits and Universal Credit can be found in the links below.

• Income based Job Seekers’ Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support (IS)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Housing Benefit (HB)
• Working Tax Credits
• Child Tax Credits
• Universal Credit

Further information can be found through the links below;

Universal Credit and students – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Who is a full-time student for benefit purposes? – Turn2us

Who is a part-time student for benefit purposes? – Turn2us