§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will issue further guidance to local education authorities and higher education institutions concerning students who are temporarily absent from their studies due to(a) illness and (b) caring responsibilities. [141312]
§ Mr. WicksThe Department issued further guidance in early November 2000 to all local education authorities and Higher Education institutions on the provisions for students who are temporarily absent from their course due to illness or caring responsibilities. Similar information was also made available to students in Higher Education.
Under the Education (Student Support) Regulations, full-time students in England and Wales who are absent from their course because of illness are entitled to continue to receive student support for the first 60 days of absence. Before academic year 1998–99 this was only 28 days. Local education authorities also have the discretion to determine whether student support should be continued when a student is absent for reasons other than illness or caring duties.
Full-time students who have suspended their studies because of illness or caring responsibilities, and who are required to wait until they are permitted to rejoin their course, can now claim Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing/Council Tax Benefit from when they recover from illness or their caring duties end.
The revised guidance encourages local education authorities to use the discretionary powers available to them to continue paying student support when a student is temporarily absent from their course.