NHS Bursary & Benefits

AngelBadger

The information on IB and studying is confusing, and sends you around in circles. Eventually I found this:

Studying but not capable of work?

There is no legislation that says you cannot get Incapacity Benefit while you are studying unless you are under 19 years old, when you cannot study full time.

If you are under 19, you are only allowed to do up to 21 hours of mainstream education per week. The DWP will not count hours of teaching that are only appropriate for a disabled student - either because of the subject matter or teaching method. This means that any hours of specialist tuition or specialist support in a mainstream class should not be included.

Some people, including some DWP staff, assume that studying proves that someone is capable of work. In fact it all depends on the kind of course you are going to do. Many courses are very different to employment, even if they are full-time. It is possible for someone to be capable of studying, but not capable of working. On the one hand if your course involves a lot of practical work on most days it may show that you are capable of working. On the other hand if your course involves ten hours of lectures in a week and the rest of the time private reading it would not automatically show that you are capable of working.

Linked from the 'Studying and Claiming benefits as 'incapable of work''
http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=14&p=147


From what I've read I believe that it is possible to study and still recieve IB, but it depends on the course you study/the hours/flexibility etc. I cannot imagine it being possible to do a nursing degree and still recieve IB. A nursing degree is 50% supervised practical work and 50% study. I can't imagine how anyone could claim they can not work due to disability/illness yet do 10-15 hours of physically and mentally demanding work as part of a degree.

TBH, I'm a little baffled. If you have had these 2 illnesses since birth and you've never been physically or mentally capable of any type of work before now, and nothing has changed, how are you going to cope with this degree?

Indie_Kid

I was told that nursing courses are around 40 odd hours a week?

AngelBadger

sh1305 wrote: »

I was told that nursing courses are around 40 odd hours a week?

If it is then it will be at least 20 hours practical. I honestly don't know how someone who genuinely can't work could manage it. Nursing is usually physically and mentally demanding work, especially when you're a dogsbody aka student nurse. I hope someone can enlighten me as to how it is possible.

Oldernotwiser

It's probably one of the less sensible aspects of the DDA.

jimjams_mommy

With all nursing courses you have to be passed by occupational health, by your g.p if you declare information or the uni occui health, to be fit to practice. How can you be on IB unable to work but able to do a nursing course?

Your are on placement in set periods of time i.e 5 weeks in uni then 6 week on placement, to set shifts, nights, earlys depends when your asessor is working. Nursing is unlike a lot of course due to this.

Morgan_Ree

I agree. Placments are 40 hours a week for up to 12 weeks at a time. Have you thought how you are going to manage that?
Have you seen Occy Health yet?

I don't know your reasons for claiming IB but I really don't see how you're going to get round the whole being able to commit to placements but not a reg full time job?
It's back breaking work at times. Even though it's not meant to be a physical job due to hoists etc, let me tell you it is!
I spent 7 weks on a orthopaedic ward and I swear to god I've never worked so hard in my life! My back still hurts nearly a year later!

jimjams_mommy

Morgan_Ree wrote: »

I agree. Placments are 40 hours a week for up to 12 weeks at a time. Have you thought how you are going to manage that?
Have you seen Occy Health yet?

I don't know your reasons for claiming IB but I really don't see how you're going to get round the whole being able to commit to placements but not a reg full time job?
It's back breaking work at times. Even though it's not meant to be a physical job due to hoists etc, let me tell you it is!
I spent 7 weks on a orthopaedic ward and I swear to god I've never worked so hard in my life! My back still hurts nearly a year later!

As said here by morgan if you have been offered the place ( which you said starts in a few weeks ) have you pasted occy health and been complety honest with them? or have you stopped your claim for IB?


Because it would be a shame for you to A, start the course and realise you are not well enough or B, realise you risk losing your IB and give it up, both of which are very late in the day for someone else to take your place on the course if you have to give it up for what ever reason.

Gemma2010

Hi,

When i give up work to start Uni next year. The only income i will have will be child tax credits and child benefit.

me and my partner have 5 children under 10 he wont be working due to childcare reasons. so when it asks for income i get in the calculator would i put nil? or input the annual amount in tc and chb i get? thanks

clairec79

you put nil Gemma

Gemma2010

thanks claire,

do i also put in 52 weeks attending and im in lodgings if live in rented house with my family?

also is it a tax free payment paid monthly?

thank you for your help