Mature student finance help needed = im going round in circles !!

8dayweek

huckster said:

Universal Credit and students - GOV.UK https://share.google/F7b2PmO5qxqteetNN

If you read the above it says about claiming UC, if course is non advanced, there is no student finance and they are available/searching for work. You mention course is funded and it will depend on the details.

No harm in him submitting a UC claim, providing all of the information and finding out if he is entitled or not

This is where I feel the Course would fall - non-advanced without the provision of loan or maintenance… therefore the only barrier would be if the Course were incompatible with work related requirements (i.e. you’d need to be actively seeking work). 

silvercar

Important to distinguish between further education and higher education. Higher education is study that leads to a degree, further education is any study after secondary education that is not towards a degree.

Full definition here: https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses

Higher education should normally (at least for first time studying with eligibility) be eligible for student loans, further education doesn’t have a national scheme of funding.

happyhelston

silvercar said:

Important to distinguish between further education and higher education. Higher education is study that leads to a degree, further education is any study after secondary education that is not towards a degree.

Full definition here: https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses

Higher education should normally (at least for first time studying with eligibility) be eligible for student loans, further education doesn’t have a national scheme of funding.

So sorry for the delay in responding - So, his course is an Access to Higher Education course, 1 year full time - level 3 which then when he gets the points he can join the course at University he has chosen.
Not sure if that helps with your advice but really appreciate you taking time to help

huckster

So as level 3 course can claim UC provided they can meet work related requirements I.e. searching and applying for work they can do,  attending Job Centre appointments. ; and take up paid employment they can do when not attending the course.

Once they start studying level 4 and above, any UC claim will be ended, as they could apply for student maintenance loans.

NedS

huckster said:

So as level 3 course can claim UC provided they can meet work related requirements I.e. searching and applying for work they can do,  attending Job Centre appointments. ; and take up paid employment they can do when not attending the course.

They need to be available full time for any work and must be prepared to give up the course to take up an offer of employment, otherwise they fail the availability requirement. The work coach should not tailor their commitments around their studies (although they commonly do)

Basically, being a full time student and claiming UC are not compatible unless there are no work related requirements (for example, has an appointee). Yes, they are eligible to claim (as it's a level 3 'non-advanced' course), but they must still be willing to give up the course to take up work. Being a student is not good reason for failing to meet work related commitments, and I would argue any student who completes a year long full time course is not actively seeking employment.

huckster

Yes agree it would be 35 hour work search activities per week, but there are 168 hours in a week and if they worked every weekend and several evenings they would potentially earn enough not to need Universal Credit.

Once they earn at least 18 hours per week at National Living wage hitting the administrative earnings threshold they would be in light touch and not be needing Job Centre appointments.  So the first goal is to achieve 18 hours per week employment and build from there.

NedS

huckster said:

Yes agree it would be 35 hour work search activities per week, but there are 168 hours in a week and if they worked every weekend and several evenings they would potentially earn enough not to need Universal Credit.

Once they earn at least 18 hours per week at National Living wage hitting the administrative earnings threshold they would be in light touch and not be needing Job Centre appointments.  So the first goal is to achieve 18 hours per week employment and build from there.

Agreed. My point was that they must make themselves available to take up full time work at any time, not just around their studies, and must be actively seeking such work, not just actively seeking evening and weekend work to fit in around their studies. The work coach should also be actively testing that availability by booking them appointments during college hours rather than trying to accommodate their studies. It is the claimant's responsibility to actively demonstrate their availability.

Like you say, if they have sufficient earnings to meet the AET then conditionality is satisfied and the issue goes away. In the OP's case, it would make any claim so much more straight forward if they had 18h/week work and are hitting the AET before starting their course.