PhD writing up and universal credit. Advice?

randomboy1992

Hi all, 
I'm currently in my fifth year of my PhD - deadline is September 2020. 

My funding ran out at the end of my third year. Since then I do not pay any tuition  fees or receive financial support to study.  Since then I have been juggling multiple jobs in order to live. My most recent job came to and end during early February because of their funding issues. I still have some temp/zero hours contract work going - but this is not enough to cover rent/bills etc. 

Now, because of this as well as the current situation with Covid19 affecting my ability to look for work, I had applied for Universal Credit. I initially told them that i was a full-time student and they instantly rejected my application. I contacted the university's financial team for advice and they suggested that I challenge this because my status as student is 'writing-up, previously full-time' - so i changed my status on my UC application, and then it got accepted. I am now receiving UC - which is great news. However i am filled with anxiety and concerns that I have been given money that i am not eligible for. 
What if i will get prosecuted? What if i can't produce evidence for them that confirms I am in my writing up stage and therefore not a full time student? 

I tried to get student finance support when i was first rejected by UC, but i got rejected for this too. WIthout UC i have nothing. I feel PhD students out of their funding periods are in limbo and go off the radar.  

I am actively looking for work and would be able to work full time alongside finishing my phd. 
Has anybody been in this situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

tomtom256

You are either a fulll time student or your not for Universal Credit purposes , that is the crux of the matter.

So are you a full time student or not, if we where not in lockdown, would you be attending university full time?

randomboy1992

If it weren’t for this lockdown, I’d be working and then I’d spend my free time finishing up my thesis. I don’t attend lectures, pay tuition fees etc. The thesis is done purely in my own time. 

tomtom256

If you where sat in front of me and told me that at an intial evidence appointment, then I would say you aren't a full time student and would award UC.

randomboy1992

Thank you fo your response. I’ve found it near impossible to get any further information regarding UC and PhD students in their “writing up stages”. It’s extremely vague. One thing for sure is that I’m not a full time student. 

tomtom256

Bascially, we do a question session with students and as part of that we would normally request a learning agreement or letter from college/uni confirming course details, whether it was classed as full or part time and about any grants/loans you may be elgible for and then go through a tick sheet for want of  a better word, to decide on eligibilty.

randomboy1992

I’ve requested evidence from the university asking them to demonstrate that I am not a full time student. This should be adequate evidence to the DwP won’t it? The course was full time for three years, then after that it was converted into “writing up, previously full time” of which I’m currently in. But as per my previous post, I’ve been working full time for two years and doing the PhD in my free time. 

tomtom256

It should be fine, but probably not required.

randomboy1992

Even if It demonstrates I am part time student but able to work full time then it still should be fine shouldn’t it?

Really appreciate your help! 

tomtom256

Yes it will be.

NedS

As @tomtom256 said above, you are not a student. Your course officially finished after 3 years (funding stopped), and that is when you ceased being a student. You have up to an additional 3 years to submit your thesis, but you are no longer a student.

If you choose to spend your free time writing up your thesis, that is your choice. In terms of UC you are not a student. Whether you are eligible to receive UC would (normally) come down to conditionality - you would be expected to be available to look for and take work for 35h/week. If you stated you were not available for work and unable to take a job because you were writing up your thesis then you would not be eligible to claim UC - but not because you are a student (you are not), but because you have chosen to make yourself unavailable for work. However, due to Covid-19, currently there is no expectation of work for anyone, so you are currently eligible to claim UC regardless, and can spend your days at home in lockdown writing your thesis. When you apply, do not say you are a student.