University Students: What Benefits Can They Claim?

University students may be able to claim benefits, depending on their circumstances. Full-time students are usually excluded from claiming means-tested benefits, but there are exceptions. Students can get benefits and grants to help with university costs, on top of student loans. This can boost their bank balance by tens of thousands of pounds a year. Students can get help with tuition fees and living expenses in the form of grants and loans from the government.

Part-time students and certain groups of full-time students may be eligible for income-related benefits

If you are a part-time student, you may be able to get Universal Credit as long as you can meet the work-related requirements that apply to you. You will need to speak to a welfare benefits officer to find out more.

If you are a full-time student, you can only claim Universal Credit if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are under 21, taking a course leading to a qualification at the same level as or below A-Levels (such as Scottish Highers or NVQ up to level 3), and you do not and cannot live with your parents.
• You are responsible for a child.
• You get Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment and have limited capability for work.
• You live with a partner who can claim Universal Credit.
• You have taken time out from your course due to illness or caring responsibilities, and you are now recovered/your caring responsibilities have ended, and you are waiting to go back to your course.

In addition to Universal Credit, there are other income-related benefits that part-time students may be eligible for. These include Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, and Housing Benefit. If you are already claiming income-related benefits and want to start a higher education course, you should consult your local Jobs and Benefits office to understand how your benefits will be affected.

Full-time students can claim Universal Credit if they are under 21, taking a course leading to a qualification at the same level as or below A-Levels, and they do not/cannot live with their parents

Full-time students are usually unable to claim Universal Credit. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

You can claim Universal Credit as a full-time student if you are under 21, taking a course leading to a qualification at the same level as or below A-Levels, and you do not/cannot live with your parents. This includes students who have left care provided by the local council or are without parental support.

If you are under 21 and on a full-time course that started before you reached this age, you can claim Universal Credit until the end of the academic year in which you turn 21, or until the end of the course if it ends before you reach 21.

If you are over the age of 21 and are studying full-time, you may be able to claim Universal Credit if you are responsible for a child, live with a partner who can claim Universal Credit, or have reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit and live with a partner who is under that age.

You may also be able to claim Universal Credit if you are studying full-time and are receiving Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Child Disability Payment, or Armed Forces Independence Payment.

Full-time students can claim Universal Credit if they are responsible for a child

Generally, full-time students are not eligible for Universal Credit. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. One such exception is if you are a full-time student and are responsible for a child. In this case, you may be able to claim Universal Credit. This applies whether you are a single parent or part of a couple, as long as one of you is eligible for Universal Credit.

If you are a single parent, you will need to be the primary caregiver to the child and meet the other eligibility requirements for Universal Credit, such as being of working age and having less than £16,000 in savings. If you are part of a couple, only one of you needs to be eligible for Universal Credit, but you must be jointly responsible for the child.

It is important to note that your student income, such as loans and grants, can affect how much Universal Credit you receive. Loans for maintenance, such as living costs and rent, are considered income and will be taken into account when calculating your Universal Credit payments. However, loans for tuition fees and other costs of study are excluded.

Full-time students can claim Universal Credit if they receive Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment, and they have limited capability for work

Full-time students are usually ineligible for Universal Credit. However, they can claim Universal Credit if they receive Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment, and they have limited capability for work.

To be eligible for Universal Credit, you must be on a low income or need help with your living costs. You must be either working, including self-employed or part-time, or unable to work, for example, because of a health condition. You must be aged 18 or over, under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings, and investments.

If you are a full-time student, you can claim Universal Credit if you are receiving any of the above benefits and have been assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your course. This assessment is called a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). If your health condition or disability limits how much work you can do for longer than 28 days, you may need to undergo a WCA.

If you are claiming Universal Credit as a student, you will be placed in the 'no work-related requirements' group while you are studying and receiving student income such as a maintenance loan. If you are under 21, in full-time non-advanced education, and have no parental support, you will be exempt from work-related requirements.

Universal Credit is means-tested, and your student income will be counted as income for Universal Credit and may reduce your award. If you are entitled to a maintenance loan, part of it will count as income even if you choose not to take it. However, the tuition fee loan and Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) are ignored as income for Universal Credit.

Calculating how much Universal Credit you will receive as a student can be complicated. Your student income will be taken into account for each assessment period that you attend the course and will reduce your Universal Credit accordingly.

If you are a full-time student with a disability, you can also apply for a Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) to help with extra costs you incur on your course due to your disability.

Full-time students can claim Universal Credit if they live with a partner who can claim Universal Credit

Full-time students are usually unable to claim Universal Credit. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. One such exception is if you live with a partner who can claim Universal Credit. In this case, you may be able to get Universal Credit, but your partner must also claim it. This is because you must make a joint claim for your household, even if your partner is not eligible. The amount you receive will depend on your partner's income and savings, as well as your own.

If you are a full-time student claiming Universal Credit because you live with a partner who can claim it, you will have to agree to a claimant commitment. However, if you are under 21, doing a course leading to a qualification up to A-level standard, and have no parental support, you will not have to do anything under your claimant commitment.

If you are a full-time student who has taken time out from your course due to illness or caring responsibilities, you may also be able to claim Universal Credit while you are waiting to go back to your course. In this case, you will have to talk to your work coach to find out what actions you need to take as part of your claimant commitment.

It is important to note that your student income, such as loans and grants, can affect how much Universal Credit you receive. Loans for maintenance, such as living costs and rent, are considered income and will be taken into account when calculating your Universal Credit. However, loans for tuition fees and other study costs are excluded.

Frequently asked questions