Welsh NHS Bursary and UC

Hi

I wonder if someone could confirm how this persons student income would be treated for the purposes of Universal Credit.

She is a first year student receiving a Student Loan and an NHS Bursary. She has a partner and 2 children. Her student award is for 12 months and is made up as follows:
From Student Finance Wales - Student Maintenance Loan of £4675 and no additional grants (no WGLG)
From NHS Wales - £9401 made up as follows:
Basic award - £2643
Non means tested grant £1000
Dependants Allowance £3456
Parent Learning Allowance £1204
Extra Weeks Allowance £1008

Would I be right to assume that the Dependants Allowance comes under “disregarded unless it is for the maintenance of someone who is part of your UC claim”? If so would the calculation of income be (£4675 + £3456) = £8,131 divided by 12 then a £110 disregard applied per assessment period?

Thank you

Stewart

It wouldn’t be divided by 12, but by the amount of APs which finish within the course dates for the academic year.

Regarding the amounts included as student income, in theory you are correct that only the loan plus the Dependants Allowance should be included. The question however is whether the loan has been reduced due to entitlement to the NHS bursary. DWP may argue that the loan amount has been reduced due to the NHS bursary (they definitely argue this when it comes to the WGLG).

Thanks for your response Charles. The reason I have divided over 12 APs is that her course is an all year course (not Sept - June) and the student finance is for the whole year rather than 9 months)

I’m not an expert on student finance, but the Extra Weeks Allowance seems to equate to a course length of about 42 weeks, not a full year. Are you sure it is the whole year?

By the way, student finance is always for the whole year. It’s the UC Regs which cause it to be divided up over the APs ending within the course dates.

That is what I have been told but I will double check this with her.

Thanks for your help.

DWP in Wales are not really consistent with the way the WGLG is treated so that may be the case here