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Young people in further education, or on certain training courses, may be able to get universal credit. This page covers the rules for those aged under 21 in further education, or on certain training courses. For the rules about student eligibility for benefits in other situations, see benefits for students and young people factsheets.
Some young people under 21 may be eligible for universal credit. Previously, young people under 21 may have claimed some of the ‘old’ benefits, such as income support or housing benefit, but it’s very unlikely someone under 21 is still getting these benefits. One exception is housing benefit, which is still available for some young people in special types of accommodation.
This factsheet is for you if you are:
If this is not you, different rules apply. Speak to your college student services adviser or a bursary officer, or go to your local citizens advice bureau, for more information.
Further education (FE) is study below the level of HNC, and includes NQ National 4 & 5s, NQ Highers and advanced Highers, SVQ up to level 3 and National Certificates (NCs).
Approved training includes training programmes provided under certain Acts, which is approved by the Secretary of State, such as 'No one left behind'.
In some situations your parents may be able to claim benefits for you instead of you claiming for yourself - see parents claiming for young people in further education or training instead.
Universal credit (UC) replaces several ‘old’ benefits (tax credits, housing benefit and some others). Most people claiming benefit now have to claim UC. You cannot make new claims for the ‘old’ benefits, with the exception of housing benefit to help with your rent - you can make a new claim for this if you live in certain types of supported or temporary homeless accommodation. You may also have to claim UC for your living costs, alongside housing benefit.
UC provides money for your living costs, and also for rent if you are liable to pay rent (and not living in supported or temporary homeless accommodation). If you have other income, such as student funding or a training allowance, then this may reduce the amount of UC you get. See Student/trainee funding and benefits.
If you are under 21 and ‘receiving education’, you are eligible for UC if you are ‘without parental support’. This can continue if you turned 21 on your course, as long as you were under 21 when the course started.
If you are not receiving education, and you are 18 or over, you are eligible whether or not you have parental support.
Note: there are some other circumstances in which someone receiving education can get UC - for example if you are a parent, or live with a non-student partner - for details see universal credit and students.
You are ‘receiving education’ for UC if you are in FE and you are:
If you count as ‘receiving education’ under one (or more) of the bullets above, you can get UC if you are ‘without parental support’.
This is a specific definition which applies if you:
If you are estranged, DWP guidance tells staff that third-party evidence of this is not required, unless your statement is 'self-contradictory or improbable' (you can read the guidance on gov.uk - Advice for Decision Making Chapter E1 para E1052).
Someone acting in place of a parent also counts as a parent - eg, if you live with your gran, and she acts as a parent to you, you wouldn't get UC under these rules.
Julie is 18 and starts an NC course, which is 15 hours per week, in September 2024. She is a qualifying young person. She counts as receiving education for UC. She is estranged from her parents, and is therefore eligible for UC while on her course.
Connor is 20 and starts an NC course, and a bursary maintenance allowance award is made to him. He counts as receiving education because he gets a bursary. He is orphaned and lives alone, and is therefore eligible for UC because he is ‘without parental support’.
If you are aged 16 or 17 and are a ‘care leaver’, you cannot get UC on the basis of being without parental support. Instead, the local authority social work department should support you. You may also be eligible for a care-experienced bursary from the college.
Note: for these purposes you are a ‘care leaver’ if you were looked after by the local authority for at least three months since age 14, including on or after your 16th birthday, and you are no longer looked after by the local authority. For more information see benefits for care-experienced students.
Housing benefit (HB) is a benefit which helps with rent if you are liable to pay rent. You cannot make a new claim for HB unless you live in certain types of supported or temporary homeless accommodation – eg, a homeless hostel. If you already get HB, you can stay on it when you start studying if you remain eligible (see below), and your income is low enough.
You cannot get HB if you live at home with your parents.
If you are a 16 or 17-year-old care leaver, you are not eligible for HB, as your rent should be met by the local authority social work department.
If you have other income, such as student funding or a training allowance, then this may reduce the amount of HB you get. See student/trainee funding and benefits.
You are eligible for HB if you are a full-time FE student and are under 21, or are aged 21 and turned 21 on your course (but remember new claims for HB are not usually possible). You just have to be under 21 (or age 21 if you turned 21 on your course) to be eligible: you do not have to also be ‘without parental support’.
There is no effect on your UC or HB if you get:
A bursary maintenance allowance (this includes a care-experienced bursary), dependants' allowance or training allowance will affect the amount of UC or HB you can get, although a fixed amount of a bursary maintenance allowance payment is disregarded (£110 per month).
Money from the FE discretionary fund is ignored if you get UC and the discretionary fund payment is for:
Money from the FE discretionary fund is ignored if you get HB and it is:
Lydia is 20 and on an NC course of 21 hours a week. She is living on her own because of a risk of physical danger at home. She can get UC. She is awarded a bursary maintenance allowance of £28 per week (sometimes called the 'UC student allowance'), which counts as income for UC (although £110 per month is disregarded). She also gets money for study expenses, which is ignored for UC.
Cleo is 18 and doing NQ Highers at her local college for 14 hours a week. She is in temporary homeless accommodation, and has no contact with her parents. She can get UC to help with her living costs, and HB to pay her rent. She also gets an EMA. The EMA does not affect her benefits.
