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This information is very general, and aims to highlight which students may be eligible for benefits. There are links below to more detailed information for different groups. Anyone on benefits considering studying should seek accurate, full advice about entitlement, for example from their local citizens advice bureau or other advice agency.

What benefits are there?

The main benefit for people of working age is:

  • Universal credit. It provides support for living costs, rent, children, childcare costs if you are working, and extra needs if you are disabled or a carer

Universal credit has replaced various benefits and tax credits. The only one that still remains is housing benefit. Housing benefit helps pay for rent if you live in certain types of temporary (eg, homeless accommodation) or supported accommodation. If you live in other types of rented accommodation, universal credit can help pay for this.

Other benefits for specific purposes can be paid alongside universal credit – eg, child benefit, contributory ESA for ill or disabled people, carer support payment for people caring for disabled people, and adult disability payment for disability costs.

What benefits can students get?

Special rules restrict full-time students from claiming some benefits. Instead, students are expected to fund themselves through student funding - eg, loans and grants, rather than benefits. You need to start by working out who is a full-time and who is a part-time student (sometimes termed ‘receiving education’). See CPAG’s Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook for more information.

Part-time students can usually continue to get their benefits as before, although this may include having to continue looking for and being available for work if you are claiming universal credit.

Full-time students usually cannot get benefits for living cost support or rent at all, but there are exceptions. These exceptions mainly apply to parents, disabled students, students living with a non-student partner, and young people with no parental support.

Some benefits are not affected by studying. The main ones unaffected are child benefit, and disability benefits such as adult disability payment.

Most full-time students are eligible for the new carer support payment. For more information see CPAG in Scotland’s resource Students and carer support payment 

Main groups of full-time students who can claim benefits

The following groups are usually eligible, but see the next section for how student funding might affect the amount of benefit paid.

Note: most new claims are for universal credit. Where the ‘old’ benefits which still remain (income-related ESA, housing benefit) are listed below, these are mainly for existing awards. New claims cannot usually be made for these benefits. There's an exception for people in certain types of supported or homeless accommodation, who can still make new claims for housing benefit.

Students who are eligible for universal credit

Parent students, some disabled students, students with a non-student partner and young people in further education who have no parental support in certain circumstances (eg, because they are estranged) may be able to get universal credit. For more information see CPAG in Scotland’s resource Universal credit and students  

Benefits for lone parent students

Lone parent students can get universal credit and child benefit. If a lone parent student lives in temporary (eg, homeless accommodation) or supported accommodation, they can claim housing benefit as well, to pay their rent.

Benefits for disabled students

Disabled students can get (or continue to get) disability benefits such as adult disability payment. Some disabled students can get universal credit. If a disabled student lives in temporary (eg, homeless accommodation) or supported accommodation, they can claim housing benefit as well, to pay their rent.

For more information see CPAG in Scotland’s resource Benefits for disabled students 

Benefits for student couples

Student couples (ie, where both are full-time students) who have a child can get universal credit, housing benefit (if in temporary or supported accommodation) and child benefit.

Students who can claim housing benefit

Lone parent students, student couples with a child, some disabled students and young people in further education may be able to make a new claim for housing benefit. Other full-time students cannot get housing benefit, although if a student has a non-student partner, the partner can claim. In either case a new claim for housing benefit is only possible if someone lives in certain types of temporary or supported accommodation – eg, homeless accommodation. 

Effect of student funding on benefits

Universal credit and housing benefit are affected by most student funding that someone has. Student loans for maintenance, and most grants and bursaries count as income. Education maintenance allowance (EMA) does not count as income. 

Examples

Leona is a lone parent with a two-year-old child in further education. She gets universal credit and child benefit. She gets a small bursary, and her universal credit is reduced by a small amount each month.
Leona moves onto a course of higher education and gets a student loan. Her monthly amount of universal credit reduces substantially during the academic year, because of the student loan income.

Jeff is 17 and is estranged from his parents and living in temporary homeless accommodation. He gets universal credit and housing benefit. He is on a full-time course of further education and gets an EMA. The EMA doesn't affect his benefits.
 

Further information