§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which students, if any, are eligible for either educational or social security support. [HL5374]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandSupport for full-time higher education students comes from the student support system, which is designed for their needs, and not from the social security system. The vast majority196WA of students, once they begin a full-time course of study, are not eligible to claim the income-related benefits.
However some students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation, principally lone parents and disabled students, may have additional costs unassociated with their studies and these students retain their eligibility for the income-related benefits subject to satisfying eligibility and income criteria. They may be eligible for both higher education student support and social security benefits.
Full-time students in these vulnerable groups continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation. This now includes students who, with the permission of their HE institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered from that illness but cannot return to their course until an agreed time in the academic year. These students may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities or illness ceased until return to the course; but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year. A student who intercalates and has been ill for 196 days also becomes eligible to claim income support during their period of illness thereafter.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many days after withdrawal from their courses students cease to be eligible for educational support through normal channels. [HL5375]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandLoans for living costs and grants for higher education students in respect of their dependants are payable in three instalments during each academic year. Students are not eligible for any instalments of living costs support payable during any quarters of the academic year that remain after the quarter during which they withdraw from their course. They may be eligible for an instalment of support during the quarter in which they withdraw, but this is subject to the discretion of the local education authority concerned, taking into account the circumstances leading to the student's withdrawal. Once they have withdrawn they are not eligible to apply to their institution for support from access or hardship funds.
If students withdraw from their courses before the first three months of the academic year have expired, they will not be eligible for grant support towards the income-assessed contribution they are expected to make towards their tuition fees.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What would be the cost of ensuring that all students should be eligible for either educational or social security support. [HL5377]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandSo far as full-time higher education students are concerned, the great majority receive student support. The exceptions are some intercalating students, although a number of 197WA intercalating students who suspend their studies are now eligible for social security benefits or for student loans at the discretion of their LEAs. We have no cost figures on the extension of student support to all such students because information on overall numbers of particular categories of intercalating students is not collected by LEAs or centrally. Costs would vary depending on whether extended support was in the form of repayable higher education student loans or non-repayable social security benefits.
For other categories of students, there would be additional costs in extending social security benefits to full-time further education students but part-time higher and part-time further education students are already eligible to claim them.