Benefits for higher education students with low incomes :Cross Stitch – Money, tax and benefits
Part-time students on a low income and certain groups of full-time students may be eligible for benefits. These include Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Find out what you could get.
Benefits for students depend on your personal circumstances such as your income and any savings you may have. You may not be able to get benefits if the income you get through student finance is too high.
If you’re currently at university or college, a student adviser will be able to help you work out if you qualify for any benefits.
Who can claim benefits?
Most full-time students can’t claim income-related benefits but you may be able to claim if you:
- are a single parent
- have a partner who is also a student – and one or both of you are responsible for a child
- have a disability, and qualify for the disability premium, severe disability premium or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
If you have a partner who is not a student and they’re eligible for any income-related benefits, your partner can claim on behalf of you both.
Part-time students can apply for income-related benefits if they’re on a low income and meet the certain conditions.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you’re studying full time, you may be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance during the summer holiday if one of the following apply:
- you’re a single parent who is responsible for a child or young person
- you have a partner who is also a full-time student, and one or both of you is responsible for a child or young person
You also need to be available for and actively seeking work.
You may also be able to claim if you’re waiting to go back to a course, having taken approved time out for a period of up to one year because of an illness or caring responsibility that has now come to an end.
If you’re studying part time, you may be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance if you are:
- out of work or working less than 16 hours a week on average
- capable of working
- available for work
- actively seeking work
- below retirement age
Normally, you must also be aged 18 or over. You must be willing to go to a job interview, even if you have to take time off from your course. You should also be prepared to rearrange your hours of study to fit around a job.
Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) are sources of support for people with an illness or disability that affects their ability to work. If you already claim one of these benefits, you may be able to carry on getting it as a student.
See ‘Financial help for disabled students’ for more information. You can also get advice from the Disability Officer or Student Services Officer at your college or university.
Other help
If you’re working as well as being either a full-time or part-time student, you may be able to get Working Tax Credit.
If you receive the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit, you won’t be able to claim the Childcare Grant as well.
You may be able to claim Child Tax Credit if you are a student and are responsible for a child. Higher rates are available if:
- you have more than one child
- your child is disabled
Full-time students may be exempt from paying Council Tax, or eligible for a reduction in their Council Tax bill. Find out how to claim from your local authority, then ask your college or university to supply proof of your full-time student status.