I am the advisor at a treatment centre for Drug and Alcohol dependent people and run the Aftercare Group. My client is 23, will have been on IB since March 1st, receives full Housing and Council Tax Benefit since he has supported himself since he was 18 . He wants to do an Access Course starting in September this year and the minefield surrounding his benefits is befuddling my brain!!The Access course is for one year , advertised as part time in the brochure, but requiring attendance 5 days a week between 9.30am and 3.00pm each day.

Help!!

The only problem you could encounter is whether the type of course is considered to be inconsistent with the cause of his incapacity otherwise there shouldn't be any implications for his benefits at all. He'll be considered a disabled student so he should continue to get HB/CTB and his IB isn't dependant on anything other than the fact that he's not working and remains incapable of work.

Unless I've missed something. But I don't think so.

Actually I didn't read that properly - I thought you said he'd been incapable of work since he was 18 in which case he'd be a disabled student. Ooops. If his course is more than 16 hours per week he won't get HB/CTB.

Check when he became incapable of work - he should be ok once he's been incapable of work for more than 28 weeks.






Probably, but it's ten to seven and I'm talking off the top of my head which is never a good idea after 5 o clock.

The DWP guidance on students and housing benefits is on:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/manuals/hbgm/parts/ptc_05b.asp#b