Universal Credit & Studying at The Open University

Andromeda14

I'm hoping someone can help. This is all really new for me and I have no idea what i'm doing.

I am currently claiming UC. I have had my work capability assessment and i'm in the LCW group.
I suffer from Agoraphobia, which developed in Jan 18 after a nervous breakdown and I'm essentially housebound. I'm 29.
I submitted a Mandatory reconsideration as they're expecting me to look for homeworking jobs - which is great in principle until you realise that no self respecting company would hire someone for home working without them at least attending a face-to-face interview and/or office based training...of which I am obviously unable to do.
MR was rejected and I've submitted by paperwork for the tribunal. I'm also in the process of claiming PIP.

Anyway sitting around the house all day is driving me mad so I looked into doing a degree with the OU. Everything I've read suggests that you can still claim UC because it's considered part-time distance learning and you are only entitled to tuition fees which is paid directly to them.
This is all well and good until you discover that the rules have recently changed so that disabled students are now entitled to apply for the maintenance loan at the OU.

I've had a chat with my work coach who has informed me that:
"Student funding is a payment query and I am unable to give any detailed answers to this as we don't work it out at the jobcentre. However, I can confirm the following:
- The loan available to the claimant, whether or not they take up this maximum amount is taken into account when calculating a Universal Credit award."

So basically, whether or not I decide to take up the maintenance loan is irrelevant because declaring my disability means I am entitled to the maintenance loan and it will go against me in terms of my UC and I will come out with £0 UC for the assessment periods due to the loan payments.

This seems grossly unfair and discriminatory (and I don't use that word lightly)...because I am disabled i'm essentially being forced into a position where I have to take on unnecessary debt (which isn't even the maximum amount because it's technically a part-time course) in order to survive. Whereas if I wasn't disabled, I would be able to study and still claim UC which would not be needed to pay back.

Feeling really disheartened.

huckster

Before you become too disheartened, why don't you contact the Open University, to see if they have any advice service for students with a disability. Perhaps they have student finance/disability advisors who can advise you on this subject.

It is correct that if you are entitled to a maintenance loan, you have to take the maximum available and your Universal Credit claim is adjusted. This might mean no entitlement to any UC payments during the length of the actual course say from Septemeber to June. But you need to get hold of the correct advice re student loans for disabled students to fully understand this first.

Alice_Holt

In addition to the OU try contacting these people:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/helplines/disabled-students-helpline

The OU also have free online courses. You may wish to explore these.

SweetCoco

Hi, I am also a disabled student in a similar position.

Don't rely on UC like I did, it will only cause much stress and anxiety. Try applying for DSA or Disabled Student Allowance, I applied for this and afterwards I was awarded extra help and a Special Support Grant which is extra money, it is not counted as income by the DWP so it's ignored completely. This might help, good luck with your studies!