Students and benefits update
Benefits for Students in Scotland information updated
CPAG’s Benefits for Students in Scotland handbook has been updated with benefit rate changes from April 2026 and other important benefit changes since publication in September 2025.
All nine students and young people’s information resources have also been updated recently.
Claiming benefits when a course ends
When you finish a full-time course, you no longer count as a student for benefit purposes, and can therefore claim benefits in the same way as anyone else. The date you can claim from is usually the day after the last day of the final academic year of your course.
You can claim universal credit (UC) online on gov.uk. An ‘assessment period’ of one month follows the date of claim, and payment is usually made a week after the assessment period ends. This means it is usually at least five weeks from claiming UC to being paid. If you are in hardship while waiting for your first UC payment, you can ask for a short-term advance. However, note that this is repayable from your UC award (over 24 months). Alternatively, you could try claiming a Scottish welfare fund crisis grant from your local authority.
Student income is not counted as income in the ‘assessment period’ in which your course ends. This means if you are eligible for UC while studying (eg, you are a parent), but your UC stopped during term time because student income was too high, you can reclaim UC early - in the last month of your course, when student income is ignored.
Note: student parents with a child/ren under 16, who are making a new claim for UC at the end of a course, should also apply for Scottish child payment from Social Security Scotland. See our Scottish child payment page for more information, and apply for Scottish child payment at mygov.scot
Now that you are no longer a full-time student you may be liable for council tax, but if you have a low income you should claim council tax reduction from the local authority to reduce your bill.
Note: most people get a ‘housing costs element’ in their UC to help pay their rent. But if you live in ‘specified’ supported or temporary (eg, homeless) accommodation you must claim housing benefit for help with rent. You may need to claim this together with UC for your living costs.
Jackie’s course ends on 5 June 2026. She is a parent with one child, so is eligible for UC while studying, but did not get UC during the course because her student income was too high. She claims UC on Monday 8 May. Her first assessment period runs from 8 May – 7 June. Her student loan is not taken into account as income in this assessment period, as this is the assessment period in which her course ends. Her first UC payment is made on 14 June, and she receives her maximum UC amount on this date as no student income is counted. She also applies for Scottish child payment.
Kim’s course ends on 5 June 2026. She is single, with no children, and is 25. She is not eligible for UC while studying. She is no longer a student for UC after the last day of the course. She claims UC on Monday 8 June. Her first assessment period runs from 8 June to 7 July. Her first payment is made on 14 July, and she receives her maximum UC amount on this date (assuming she has no other income).
Benefits for students over the summer vacation
This section explains the rules for students whose course continues after the summer (eg, a 2-year HND, or a degree course). If your course ends completely, see ‘Claiming benefits when a course ends’, above.
Students can only claim universal credit (UC) over the summer vacation if they are a student who is eligible for UC. If you are not a student who is eligible for UC, you cannot get UC in the summer between years of your course.
You are a student who is eligible for UC, in the main, if you are a parent, if you live with a partner who is not a student, if you have a disability, or you are under 21 in further education and ‘without parental support’ in certain circumstances. For the full, detailed list of students who can claim UC, see our Universal credit and students information resource.
Note that student income is not counted as income for UC in the ‘assessment period’ in which the summer vacation starts. This means students eligible for UC (eg, student parents) whose UC stopped during term time because their income was too high can reclaim in the month in which the summer vacation starts, when student income is ignored.
Parent students should also claim Scottish child payment if they have a child or children under age 16. Check as well whether you are eligible for any Best Start grants or Best Start foods. You must usually be getting UC or certain other benefits to be eligible for these extra payments from Social Security Scotland (although someone can get Best Start grants and foods if they are under 18 even if not on benefits, and can get Best Start foods if they have ‘no recourse to public funds’). See Payments for children and young people for more details.
Sometimes students may get a discretionary fund payment over the summer between years of the course, to help manage during this period. If you get a one-off or lump sum payment from the discretionary fund, this counts as capital, and as long as your total capital (savings, investments, etc) is below £6,000, this will not affect UC.
You are still a student for council tax purposes over the summer, therefore your student council tax exemption can continue over the summer.
Lynda’s summer vacation starts on 27 June 2026. She is a parent with one child, but did not get UC during the course year because her student income was too high. She claims UC on 31 of May. She is eligible for UC while studying because she is a parent. Her first UC assessment period runs from 31 May to 30 June. Her student loan is not taken into account as income in this assessment period, as this is the assessment period in which her summer vacation starts. Her first payment is made on 7 July, covering the period 31 May to 30 June, and she receives her maximum UC amount on this date as no student income is counted. She also claims Scottish child payment, and gets this and UC over the summer.
New care leaver payment
A new £2000 one-off payment for care leavers has been introduced by Scottish Government. It is for young people who stop being looked after or who leave continuing care on or after 1 April 2026. See our Care leaver payment page for more information.
CPAG in Scotland's advice line
Advisers can phone CPAG in Scotland's advice line for advisers and frontline staff on 0141 552 0552 to check what benefits a student can claim, or if you have any other questions about social security benefits.
The advice line is available Monday to Thursday 10am - 4pm and Fridays 10am - 12 noon.
You can also email your enquiries to [email protected].