Intercalating Students (Hansard, 24 September 2002)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)

Generally, intercalating students are eligible for either HE student or social security support. The student loans system is the prime means of support for full-time higher education students. Support is provided to students who are absent from their courses because of illness for the first 60 days of absence. Local education authorities (LEAs) have the discretion to decide whether they should continue to receive support after the first 60 days' absence and also when students suspend their studies for reasons other than illness, such as caring responsibilities, financial problems, bereavement, or premature termination of a work placement. We strongly encourage LEAs to exercise this discretion. Additional assistance for students who are absent from their courses may also be available through the hardship funds, which allow universities and colleges to provide discretionary support for students in particular need.

So far as social security benefits are concerned students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation (such as lone parent or disabled students) continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation and students who have been ill for 196 days become eligible to claim income support during their period of illness. Students who, with the permission of their higher education institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered form that illness may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities ceased until they are permitted to return to the course, but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year.

Some intercalating students who are not ill, lone parents or disabled may not receive LEA discretionary student support, as well as being ineligible for social security benefits. One example is students intercalating for academic reasons, such as those who have failed their exams and only return to their HE institution to retake them a year later.