Most full-time students can’t claim welfare benefits. However, if you are living with a health condition or disability, you may still be able to apply for specific benefits. It is important to let the Benefits Agency, Job Centre Plus and other relevant agencies know that you are starting a course of full-time Higher Education. This is a change in your circumstances, so you must tell them, even if you believe it won’t affect your benefits.

You can continue to get DLA as a student if you already receive it, but you can’t make a new claim for DLA if you don’t currently receive it. Starting college or university does not usually result in DWP reassessing your entitlement. If your condition has changed in a way that means you qualify for a different rate, or your award is due to end, you may have to claim PIP instead. If you get DLA, you can receive more support with living costs than other students. DLA is gradually ending for people of working age. Most people with a current DLA award will be contacted about Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at some point.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is for people who need help taking part in everyday life or who find it difficult to get around. PIP replaces DLA for people between the ages of 16 and 64. Sometimes the activities you do as part of your course can suggest that your daily living or mobility needs have changed and you can be asked to undergo a reassessment.

It is no longer possible to make new claims for income-related ESA, as it has been replaced for new claimants by Universal Credit. If you’re currently getting income-related ESA and you’re also getting DLA or PIP you can continue to receive income-related ESA once you start studying. If you are entitled to a maintenance loan (even if you don’t take it out) part of it will be considered as income and the amount of income-related ESA will be substantially reduced.

Most people cannot make new claims for housing benefit, but if you already receive housing benefit, you might be able to continue to receive it. Otherwise, help with housing costs will be paid through universal credit if you’re eligible.

If you already receive housing benefit, you can continue to receive it if you meet one of the following conditions:

• You receive Income Support (IS) or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• You’re a lone parent or a member of a couple who are responsible for a child and you are both full-time students
• You’re a lone foster carer with a child formally placed with you by a local authority or voluntary agency
• You receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment Scotland or Attendance Allowance, the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit or a War Pensioner’s Disability Supplement
• You or your partner are registered blind
• You have been unable to work due to sickness or disability for 28 weeks or more
• You qualify for DSA because you are deaf
• You take time out from your course because of illness or caring responsibilities in certain circumstances (read more here)
• You’re over Pension Credit age and neither you or your partner are getting Income Support, JSA or ESA. If you qualify for guaranteed Pension Credit you will receive the maximum entitlement to Housing Benefit.

Housing Benefit can be paid towards the cost of living in halls provided by your university or college, as well as if you live in private rented accommodation. You may also be entitled to help towards the cost of an extra bedroom if you need an overnight carer.Contact your local authority for details.

If you are entitled to a maintenance loan (even if you do not take it out) part of it will be considered as income and may affect the rate of housing benefit paid.

Means-tested Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit should not be affected by studying as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Both credits are treated as income when calculating entitlement to other welfare benefits.

You can’t usually get Universal Credit as a full-time student, but there are exceptions, including:

• You’re aged 21 or under, in full-time education and do not have parental support
• You’re responsible for a child
• You live with a partner and they’re eligible for Universal Credit
• You’ve reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit and live with a partner who is under that age
• You’re disabled, were assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your course, and you’re getting either PIP, DLA, Child Disability Payment in Scotland, Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment

Higher education students eligible for UC will be placed in the ‘no work-related requirements’ group while they are studying if they are in receipt of a student loan. Normally this applies over the academic year. Over the summer vacation, you can be subject to work-related requirements.

For those in receipt of certain benefits, the loan for living costs, paid by Student Finance England, has a maintenance element and a special support element. The special support element is disregarded when calculating ESA, Housing Benefit and some other benefits.

These rates are reduced on a sliding scale for those with household incomes above the threshold in the prior tax year.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) can pay towards specialist support you need on your course. The maximum available is £27,783, an exception to this are Disability-related travel costs where there are no maximum amounts.

DSAs are non-means-tested: This means your income or your parents’ income is not taken into account when assessing the level of DSAs you will receive. Previous study does not affect your eligibility to get DSAs. There is also no upper age limit on applying for DSAs. The allowances you receive are only based on the assessed support you need while studying. DSAs do not fund items or costs related to your disability that you would have regardless of whether or not you were studying.

How to apply: You can indicate that you want to apply for DSA when you apply for your main Student Finance. You can download the application form from your account. You may need to undertake a needs assessment, to help work out your support needs whilst you study. Student Finance will tell you if you need an assessment, or what evidence you need to provide.

Advice relating to disability support, learning support and applying for DSA contact disability@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk