Help for Student Son

von

If your son is still sick he cannot claim for ESA as only students who are also in receipt of DLA/PIP qualify for ESA.

The rules regarding full time students and claiming JSA are here:

30209 Full time students may be eligible for JSA if they stop attending or undertaking a course, with the approval of the education establishment, because they are

1. caring for another person or
2. are ill and have subsequently ceased caring or recovered from their illness
and
3. they are not eligible for a loan or grant for the period and
4. they are available and actively looking for work)

JSA Regulations, Regulation 1(3D)

30210 A student who satisfies the conditions at DMG 30209 above may be entitled to JSA for a period of up to one year. The period

1. begins on the day the student recovered from the illness or the caring
responsibilities ceased and
2. ends on the earlier of the day before
2.1 the day the student resumes the course or
2.2 the day from which the educational establishment has agreed that the
student may resume the course.

whitewing

Couldn't he get a temping job through an agency?

Nomek

tomtontom wrote: »

Has he spoken to student support? In limited circumstances it is still possible to claim student finance whilst your studies are suspended, and there is also the Access to Learning Fund, although I expect their funds are low at this time of year. Worth asking?

As far as the Uni are concerned he isn't a student at the moment so they wont help.

I will let him know to look into the Access to Learning Fund

Thanks

Nomek

von wrote: »

If your son is still sick he cannot claim for ESA as only students who are also in receipt of DLA/PIP qualify for ESA.

The rules regarding full time students and claiming JSA are here:

Full time students may be eligible for JSA if they stop attending or undertaking a course, with the approval of the education establishment, because they are

1. caring for another person or
2. are ill and have subsequently ceased caring or recovered from their illness
and
3. they are not eligible for a loan or grant for the period and
4. they are available and actively looking for work)

JSA Regulations, Regulation 1(3D)

A student who satisfies the conditions at DMG 30209 above may be entitled to JSA for a period of up to one year. The period

1. begins on the day the student recovered from the illness or the caring
responsibilities ceased and
2. ends on the earlier of the day before
2.1 the day the student resumes the course or
2.2 the day from which the educational establishment has agreed that the
student may resume the course.

Thanks for this. Basically the reason the Uni suspended his course were because he is suffering from stress/depression and his grades were affected. He will be going through counselling so technically he hasn't recovered.

Saying that depending on the job, he is able to work.

So should he be able to claim JSA?

Nomek

whitewing wrote: »

Couldn't he get a temping job through an agency?

I believe he has been in touch with some agencies, but nothing has come through as yet

SJI85

It might be worth him speaking with the university, if he hasn't already. They may be able to provide him with some emergency funding, including Access to Learning. They'll also probably use the excuse that he's not an attending student. Or, even if he's eligible, he probably won't be in one of the priority groups. But, if he is desperate then it's worth trying, at least until benefits or paid employment are arranged.

tomtontom wrote: »

This is mostly wrong. The only way he can claim JSA is if he completely withdraws from the course, not just suspends his studies. The same applies for ESA, unless he is in receipt of DLA or PIP in which case he can claim ESA. Also he will not be eligible for HB unless he is in receipt of DLA or another qualifying benefit.

No it's not. As mentioned, I successfully claimed JSA in 2008 and again in 2009 without any problems. I had an approved medical concession to take my assessments at the end of the academic year and claimed JSA for most of this period.

See von's post further down.

I know ESA can only be claimed by FT students if in receipt of DLA. I know housing benefit is only available to certain groups of FT students*. Eligibility for these benefits depending on the exact nature of his student status. Same with housing benefit being. But, from what the OP says, he could be entitled to JSA.

*That said, I also remember claiming housing benefit for a brief period in the summer of 2009 before I resumed my studies. I wasn't awarded DLA until the following year and wasn't in any other special group.

greenorange

I withdrew from my final year in February 2013. As a 'suspended' student, he is still a student in regards to benefits.

JSA - cannot receive as a student
ESA - can only receive if already receiving DLA/PIP

His options:

Get a doctors note, and write a letter to student finance. Sometimes they'll continue to fund him with his student finance.

Withdraw from the course, and reapply to re-enter in September into the year in which he should be going into.

Get a job.

Nomek

Thanks everyone with this.

I will show him this thread so he can see what his options are

SJI85

greenorange wrote: »

I withdrew from my final year in February 2013. As a 'suspended' student, he is still a student in regards to benefits.

JSA - cannot receive as a student
ESA - can only receive if already receiving DLA/PIP

As already mentioned, if someone suspends/temporarily withdraws due to medical reasons then they may be entitled to JSA.

silvercar

Nomek wrote: »

Thanks tomtontom.

That is a huge gap in the system IMHO as I am sure there are lots of students in a similar position

I suspect that most either delay their withdrawal until after term 3's loan/grant is in the bank and/or they sub let their room to another student and return to their family home.

At 20, although an adult, he isn't completely independent.