Finishing education, can I claim benefits?

sugarbabe84

dmg24 wrote: »

As bunny999 has noted, you will be considered a student for benefit purposes until your course has ended. It is not unfair at all, you are expected to be working towards your dissertation on a full time basis.

The ALF assumes that postgrads have secured enough funding to complete the full year before they enter the course, so they are unwilling to provide funds for living expenses except in unforeseen circumstances, such as serious illness.

Thank you for your smug response. I've never claimed benefits before in my life because I have never needed to. I only wanted to find out if there would be any help available now that I actually need social support and while I look for a part time job. You don't know the circumstances that led me to take on post- graduate education in the first place and end up needing other sources of income, a little empathy wouldn't go amiss. I still think the social system is unfair and mostly serves to support people who never really help themselves.

Jowo_2

Someone has submitted a FOI request on this topic (inconsistency over course end dates) which gives some back ground to this and states

"For Jobseeker's Allowance purposes, the duration of a course is defined in law as the period that a student is treated as attending or undertaking a course of study. The course of study periods used for benefit assessment purposes are determined and supplied to Jobcentre Plus by the relevant colleges, universities or other educational establishments"

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/when_can_students_start_claiming?unfold=1#incoming-2224

sugarbabe84

Jowo wrote: »

Someone has submitted a FOI request on this topic (inconsistency over course end dates) which gives some back ground to this and states

"For Jobseeker's Allowance purposes, the duration of a course is defined in law as the period that a student is treated as attending or undertaking a course of study. The course of study periods used for benefit assessment purposes are determined and supplied to Jobcentre Plus by the relevant colleges, universities or other educational establishments"

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/when_can_students_start_claiming?unfold=1#incoming-2224

This is really helpful information. thanks

oldmotherreilly

Also, if you are single, you would not be considered to be available for work as you say you are looking for part time work. If you have no dependants or health problems then you would be required to look for a full time (40 hours a week) job. If you were not then your claim would automatically be suspended and referred to a Decision Maker and from my experience, JSA would not be payable for this reason alone.