Studying on disability benefits

teddysmum

Before embarking on a degree course, do check that you really can get the support you hope for, in your home area.

I did my degree (maths) many years ago and anyone could get a phone tutorial, but you had to pay for the calls yourself (only from hearsay, as I didn't need any).

At the time of some of my later exams, I had a breast fed newborn and was told that, possibly, I could do the exams at home, but this didn't happen and I had to feed the baby in the car, as soon as the exam ended (husband was with him; he wasn't left alone).

You mention home tutorials, but I do wonder about this as, though at the much easier foundation course level there are likely to be a number of local on the same course, meaning a local tutor, things are not so straightforward for the higher levels.

At higher levels, there is much less chance that locals will choose the same course, so together with dropouts, this means that students are more widely spread, meaning your tutor could be hundreds of miles away.

Accacia

Thanks for the reply Teddysmum. The home tutorials wasn't mentioned by OU itself in the call but has been brought up in various threads and discussions about OU. But I can live without that. I don't think phone tutorials would be charged or if so should hopefully fall under call allowances on my plan, I'm on the cheapest sim only plan I could find with internet as my home internet is very poor.

The course I'm looking at is Sociology, without the specialism, to give more choice. I've looked at every unit on it and I can do the entire 5 years with no exams, if I switch one crime course for a psychology. And you are correct about the likelihood of students becoming more spread out as the course progresses, I hadn't even considered that but it makes sense! Something else to consider.

As an update, I received my ESA medical report form today (ESA85). Very interesting to read. Seems the person who did it was a nurse which makes sense as I found her professional and caring but not overly, as opposed to my PIP assessor who was rude, cold and very patronising. From the look of the report the main focus was my physical disabilities and less documented of the mental (depression and anxiety, the anxiety mainly to do with social things). So I can see nothing on it that would suggest doing a part time distance course would go against their reasons for giving ESA, which is what I know already but my concern was something misreported or I myself made a mistake in the medical making it seem I couldn't do it. It was a very stressful day and mid flare-up so I was in a great deal of pain and on strong painkillers so not exactly myself.

Tomorrow I'm going to call OU and ask more information about the help provided and double check the units have assessments not exams, and start the ball rolling. Thanks all for the advice and comments, it really helps to have any discussion, I'm constantly alone at home rarely seeing anyone at all so no one to talk this over with.

teddysmum

Perhaps you could ask about the amount of internet usage, to help you plan, as mobile internet works out expensive.