STUDENTS & BENEFITS. Advice Centre

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1 Advice Centre STUDENTS & BENEFITS This leaflet will help you understand the benefits that are avilable and whether or not you are eligible to claim them.

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3 STUDENTS & BENEFITS Most students in full-time Higher Education are not eligible to claim benefits for the duration of their course, including summer vacations. Part-time students are not affected by these rules and can claim in the same way as non-students. The Government follows the principle that funding for full-time students should come from the Education budget rather than the DWP budget. However, some full-time students are still entitled to claim benefits. The table below outlines the main benefits that specific groups of students can claim despite being a student. However, just because the rules don t stop you claiming as a student you will still have to meet all the standard criteria and any income/capital rules to receive an award of benefit. MEANS-TESTED DWP BENEFITS Income Support * This benefit is due to be replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. CLAIM AT JOBCENTRE PLUS CALL CENTRE Lone parents with a child under 5 may be eligible to claim. Entitlement may be limited to the summer vacation as most student funding is taken into account as income during term time. If you are a student who is responsible for a child or young person and you also care for a disabled person you may be able to claim Income Support over the summer- seek advice. Income Based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) * This benefit is due to be replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. Income Based Job Seekers Allowance * This benefit is due to be replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. There is also a contribution based version of this benefit but full-time students are not able to claim this. An unemployed partner may be eligible - seek advice. Students with limited capacity for work may be able to claim income based ESA but only if they also receive DLA (see below). (If waiting to return to your course after time out due to illness or caring responsibility which has now ended. Lone parent responsible for a child/ children all over 5 years, or a student couple with children of any age (summer vacation only). 3

4 NON MEANS-TESTED DWP BENEFITS Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments Contribution Based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Incapacity Benefit CLAIM AT JOBCENTRE PLUS CALL CENTRE Students with an illness or disability which affects daily life and/or ability to work may be entitled to claim or continue to receive these benefits. Seek advice from the Advice Centre. COUNCIL BENEFITS/SCHEMES Housing Benefit/Local Housing Allowance For help towards rent. Entitlement may be lower during term time as most student funding is taken into account as income. * This benefit is gradually being replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. Council Tax Support (Also known as Council Tax Reduction ) For help towards Council Tax. Full-time students do not usually pay Council Tax but if you live with a non-student adult there may be a bill to pay. This benefit is different to Council Tax discounts or exemptions and is available to help towards any charge remaining after these have been applied. The help available to pay your Council Tax bill varies by Local Authority Area. The information here is about Sheffield City Council s scheme. If you live in another area please contact your council for information or contact us at the Students Union Advice Centre. APPLY TO YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL Lone Parent/Student couple with children Individuals in receipt of DLA, PIP, IS, JSA or ESA Individuals in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance due to deafness Those who have taken time out of their course due to illness or caring responsibilities which have now ended but they have not yet returned to study. Those who have an illness or disability which has limited their ability to work for 28 weeks or more. Lone Parent/Student couple with children Student in receipt of DLA, PIP, IS, JSA or ESA Students in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance due to deafness You have taken time out of your course due to illness or caring responsibilities which have now ended and you have not yet returned to your course You have had an illness or disability which limits your ability to work for 28 weeks or more If you live with a non-student adult and their name is on the bill they may claim Council Tax Support even if you are not in one of the groups above. 4

5 If you live in Sheffield and your property is not exempt from the charge (and you are below pension age), the person named on the bill will have to pay at least 23% of the Council Tax charge without help. They may get help towards the remaining 77% though Council Tax Support. Discretionary Hardship help with rent or Council Tax Request an application form: For students living outside of Sheffield you will need to contact your local council. Local Assistance Scheme This Sheffield scheme replaced Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants from the Social Fund from April Loans and grants are available to help with emergencies or disasters or to help you resettle in the community or remain in your own home if you are at risk of going into care. Students in receipt of Housing Benefit and/ or Council Tax Support who are in hardship and unable to pay towards their rent or Council Tax can apply. Students in receipt of a qualifying benefit: Income Support; Income-based JSA; Income-related ESA, Pension Credit. Apply online: benefit/claimingbenefit/local-assistancescheme.html HMRC BENEFITS AND TAX CREDITS Child Tax Credit * This benefit is gradually being replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. Working Tax Credit * This benefit is gradually being replaced by the new Universal Credit. Details at the bottom of this table. CLAIM AT HM REVENUE & CUSTOMS. VISIT benefits/tax-credits If you have children you can apply for Child Tax Credits. Entitlement depends on income. Lone parents, disabled students or students over 60 working 16 hours or more. A couple with children working 24 hours between them and at least one member working 16 hours or more. 5

6 If you cannot claim benefits as a full-time student your spouse or partner may be able to claim on your behalf as long as they fit the normal criteria. Part-time students can claim benefits as long as they fit the normal criteria. For a full benefit check, visit the Advice Centre (See Contacts). Appointments can be made with an adviser.

7 Child Benefit This is paid if you are responsible for a child. If you and/or your partner have an annual income of 50k or more there are additional rules. Seek advice. HELP WITH HEALTH COSTS Help with some NHS charges eg- glasses and contact lenses; dental treatment; travel to hospital. Free Prescriptions (if not already exempt) CALL Students receiving a passporting benefit will automatically receive help with NHS charges and free prescriptions. Passporting benefits are Income Support; Income-based JSA; Incomerelated ESA: Some Universal Credit recipients; CTC and your income for tax credit purposes is 15,276 or less; WTC only with a disability element or severe disability element and your income for tax credit purposes is 15,276 or less; Guarantee credit of pension credit (PC). Other students with a low income can claim for help with costs dependent on their financial circumstances. UNIVERSAL CREDIT Universal Credit is a new benefit which will replace several means-tested benefits, from October Currently only some new claimants have been paid this benefit, but it is planned that all claimants will move to Universal Credit by It is also proposed that the family elements of UC will be limited to the first two children only. Please seek further advice. The following students may be entitled if they claimed whilst living in a pathfinder area: Lone Parent/Student couple with children Students deemed too ill to work and who are also in receipt of DLA or PIP You get Disabled Students Allowance because you are deaf You have taken time out of your course due to illness or caring responsibilities which have now ended and you have not yet returned to your course You have had an illness or disability which limits your ability to work for 28 weeks or more. 7

8 HOW YOUR STUDENT FUNDING AFFECTS MEANS-TESTED BENEFITS Some benefits will only be paid if your income from other sources is low enough (known as means tested benefits). Your student income can affect entitlement to these benefits. See below. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I am a full-time student who is eligible to claim benefits. How much of my student funding should be taken into account as income by the benefits agency/council? Not all your student income should be taken into account by the benefits agency or your local council when assessing your entitlement to benefits. The following student income should be disregarded in full: Tuition Fee Grant Tuition Fee Loan Special Support Grant Parents Learning Allowance Childcare Grant NHS Childcare Grant Disabled Students Allowance The following student income should be taken into account: Maintenance (living costs) Loan Adult Dependants Grant Social Work Bursary Teacher Training Salary (PGCE students) Maintenance Grant NHS bursary If you decide not to take out the above income then the relevant benefit department will still take the funding into account if you are eligible to receive the award. 8

9 Calculating benefit entitlement for students is quite complicated and your benefits agency/local council can make mistakes so you should seek advice to see if you are eligible to claim or if you want to know how much benefit you will receive while you are a student. I m coming to the end of my course, when can I claim JSA? You can claim it on the Monday after the last day of the course or the last day you are registered as attending and not the day after your last exam. JobCentre Plus may consider you to be a student until June 2016 even though you may have finished your studies earlier than this date. I have suspended my studies - can I claim benefits? The DWP say that you are a full-time student until such time as you finally finish your course, permanently withdraw from it or are dismissed from it. This means that if you do take time out from your course then you are still classed as a full-time student. You are not entitled to benefits unless you fit the criteria of full-time students who can claim benefits. Students who have taken time out of their course due to illness or caring commitments, and are now waiting to return to their course can claim JSA if they are available for work. Seek advice. I m ill - can I claim benefits? See the table above for benefits you may be entitled to. The rules for students are very complex so you should contact the Advice Centre for specific advice (see contacts.) My placement has finished early. Can I claim benefits? If you are unable to find a placement, or if your placement finishes early then you are not eligible to claim benefits (unless you fall into one of the groups described earlier who can claim benefits). This is because you are still counted as a full-time student. 9

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11 CONTACTS As well as contacting us directly at the Students Union Advice Centre (details overleaf), the following contact details may be helpful: NHS Business Services Authority (help with health costs) Telephone: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support Helpline Sheffield City Council, First Point Howden House, Union Street, Sheffield Telephone: Council Tax Hotline (Bills and discounts) Telephone: Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, ESA and Maternity Benefits and Maternity benefits New or repeat claims: Existing claims: (all JCP offices) Child Benefit Helpline Telephone: Tax Credits Helpline Telephone: Disability Living Allowance Telephone: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Telephone: Carer s Allowance Unit Telephone:

12 SHEFFIELD HALLAM STUDENTS UNION ADVICE CENTRE Find Us: City Campus Sheffield Hallam Students Union The HUBS Paternoster Row Collegiate Campus Room 202, Oaklands next to Heart of the Campus Enquiry desk: Enquiry desks at both campuses are open week days from 10am-4pm (except Thursdays when they are open 12-4pm) for initial help and information. Drop-in service: Monday - Friday, 1-3pm (no drop-in on Thursdays) No appointment needed, advisers available. and telephone advice service: Phone: or advicecentre@shu.ac.uk All our leaflets and lots more help are available on our website: hallamstudentsunion.org/adviceandhelp We endeavour to keep the information in this leaflet up to date and correct. However, the law changes frequently - as do web links - and this may effect the accuracy of some of the information in the future. The information contained is given in good faith and Sheffield Hallam Students Union accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. You should seek advice if you need further help. Contact us if you would like this leaflet on tape, in braille or in large print.