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Benefits

Can students claim benefits?

Most full time students cannot claim welfare benefits.  If you are an international student from outside the European Economic Area you are not allowed to claim benefits defined as public fundsPart time students can claim benefits as long as they meet all the eligibility criteria.

Students with children

You may be able to claim Income Support and Housing Benefit as a full time student if you are:

  • A lone parent or a lone foster carer with a child under five.
  • A student couple with a child (Income Support/Jobseeker’s Allowance during the summer vacation, Housing Benefit all year round)

The rules have changed for Income Support and lone parents. Please speak to an adviser for more details. You may be able to claim Job Seekers Allowance if you are not eligible for Income Support due to the age of your children. Your entitlement to Housing Benefit is not affected by the age of your children.

Students with children can also claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits.

Students with disabilities

Disabled students who receive Disability Living Allowance can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Disabled students are no longer entitled to claim Income Support on the grounds of being incapable of work for 28 weeks. Existing claims will be transferred to ESA at a future date – please speak to an adviser if this affects you.

You may be entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if you need help to get around or to care for yourself properly. The forms are complicated and you can make an appointment to see an adviser if you would like to claim DLA.

DLA will be replaced from April 2013 by a new benefit – Personal Independence Payment (PIP). All new claims will be made for PIP from June 2013 and existing claimants of DLA will be reassessed for PIP between autumn 2013 and 2016. All the details of how PIP will be assessed and paid have not yet been finalised

Students with partners

If you have a partner who is not a student, they may be able to claim benefits if they are unemployed or on a low income. You will be treated as a couple if you are married or in a civil partnership or if you are living together as though you are married/in a civil partnership.

Students on leave of absence

Some students can claim benefits while on leave of absence.  It is important to check the regulations before you apply.

Jobseeker’s allowance

You can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) if you are unemployed or if you are working for less than 16 hours per week. You must be

  • available for work
  • capable of work
  • actively seeking work

You may be eligible to claim JSA if you are a part time student or if you are writing up your PhD. It is important to remember that if you are eligible for JSA as a writing up student, you will not be exempt from Council Tax. You may, however, be able to claim Council Tax Support.

If you are studying or writing up when you claim JSA, you need to show that you are able to take up a job and that you are willing to rearrange your hours of study in order to work. You will need to sign a Jobseeker’s Agreement and you will need to provide evidence that you are looking for jobs, e.g. copies of job applications.

Housing Benefit

The amount of Housing Benefit you can claim depends on your income and the rent that you pay. If you pay rent to a private landlord, then the Council will use Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to work out how much benefit you will receive. If your rent is higher than the LHA, you will have to make up the difference or find somewhere cheaper to live. LHA rates are published monthly by local councils. You will find the Sheffield rates here.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit will be introduced from October 2013 with a limited pilot starting in April 2013. It will be a new means tested benefit for people of working age.

Universal Credit is for people on a low income who are in or out of work. It is for people whatever their employment status. It will be a means tested benefit. All the details of how Universal Credit will work are not yet known but it is likely that most full time students will not be entitled.

Benefit Cap

From April 2013, the total amount of benefits and tax credits which you will be able to receive will be capped. The benefit cap has been introduced to ensure individuals are not given more money when they are out of work than what they could reasonably expect to earn from working.

Making a claim for benefits

You can claim Income Support by phone or by downloading a claim form. If you claim by phone, the adviser will go through the claim form with you. You need to ring 0800 055 6688. You can download the claim form here.

To claim Jobseeker’s Allowance  you can either ring Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 or claim online.

To claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support you will need to contact your local council. You can find information to make a claim in Sheffield here.

You can claim DLA on a paper form or online. There is more information on claiming here.

You can claim Employment and Support Allowance by phone or by downloading a claim form. You can find information on claiming ESA here.

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