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Social Security Benefits and Tax Credits Jargon

Full-time students with children:

 

Income Support

You are eligible to apply if you are:

  • a single parent responsible for a child under the age of 7.
  • a single parent who began full-time study prior to 25th October 2010 (and were receiving Income Support at this time and continue to receive it) and your youngest child is aged six, seven, eight or nine, you can continue to apply for Income Support until the end of your course or until your youngest child turns 10, whichever comes first.
  • a single parent who began full-time study before 26th October 2009, were receiving Income Support and your youngest child is aged nine, ten or eleven OR if you are a single parent who began full-time study before 24th November 2008, were receiving Income Support and your youngest child is aged eleven to fifteen

 To apply, call  0800 055 6688 or apply on-line.

Jobseekers Allowance

You are eligible to apply over the summer vacation if you are single and responsible for a child  OR you are a couple who are both full-time students and responsible for a child. The person claiming must be 'available for and actively seeking work' and meet other Jobseekers Allowance rules. 

To apply, call JobCentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 or apply on-line.

Housing Benefit

You are eligible to apply if you are a single parent responsible for a dependent child aged under 20 OR you are a couple who are both full-time students and responsible for a child or qualifying young person. 

To apply, please contact your Local Council's Housing Benefit Department.

Child Tax Credit

Depending upon your household income, you may be eligible to apply if you have a child. Please contact Money Doctors for further information.  

Working Tax Credit

Depending upon your household income, you may be eligible to apply if you have a dependent child and work at least 16 hours per week (if you are part of a couple, you must work at least 24 hours a week between you with one partner working at least 16 hours per week). Please contact Money Doctors for further information.  

Full-time students with disabilities:

 

Disability Living Allowance or Incapacity Benefit

You can continue to receive these Benefits as a full-time student. 

Income Support (on grounds of illness)

If you receive Income Support, this may stop once you become a full-time student because of the amount of student income you receive. Please contact Money Doctors for further advice.   

Employment Support Allowance

Once you become a full-time student, you cannot continue to receive Income-Based Employment Support Allowance unless you receive Disability Living Allowance. Please seek further advice if you are receiving Contribution-based Employment Support Allowance. 

Housing Benefit

You are eligible to apply for this if you are receiving Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance or you have been signed off work for at least 28 weeks and continue to be signed off sick. To apply, please contact your Local Council's Housing Benefit Department.

Working Tax Credit

You are eligible to apply if you have a physical or mental disability which puts you at a disadvantage of gettnig a job, qualify for a disability element and you work at least 16 hours per week.  

Full-time student with no disabilities or children:

Are not eligible for Social Security Benefits until they graduate or withdraw from a course. If you are considering intermitting from your course, please seek further advice regarding any monies you could claim BEFORE you intermit as the rules are complicated.

Once you graduate or withdraw from a course, you may be eligible to claim Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit depending upon your circumstances and household income.

Students who are aged 25 and work at least 30 hours per week OR are aged 60+ and work at least 16 hours per week can apply for Working Tax Credit. 

Part-time students:

If you are a part-time student, you can still apply for Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Disability Benefits and Tax Credits as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for the particular benefit/tax credit concerned.  If you receive a tuition fee grant and/or a books grant as a part-time student who began study prior to September 2012, this will not counted as income when calculating your entitlement to benefits and/or tax credits.

Council Tax:

Please see Student Advice Centre Housing information pages for further information as to whether you will be eligible to pay Council Tax as a student. 

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