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UC claim by former student
If a student abandons his course, because of severe illness, soon after receiving his first student loan payment of the new academic year, am I right in thinking that:
1. he is no longer a student, so can claim UC immediately;
2. he may be assessed by Student Finance England as having been overpaid some of his student loan, which he would be asked to repay straight away; and
3. if he claims UC he will have no deemed income arising as a result of his student finance?
You are thinking of the fiendishly complicated rules in the legacy benefits for guesstimating how much of the last loan instalment ought to be left at the point when they leave the course, right? A formula involving books and travel, £10 disregards added back in, counting weeks until you run out of toes and fingers - that one? It comes as no surprise to discover that UC really cannot be doing with any of that. Not a student anymore? No student income for UC.
I’m going to feel real silly now when someone shows me the bit of the UC Regs I missed where those rules are replicated - but I’m pretty sure I’ve done a thorough trawl. Those rules just don’t sound very UC-ish to me - really not their style.
Thanks very much for the response.
I’m afraid you were overestimating my knowledge of the old system - I was simply looking for someone to back up my reading of what it says in the CPAG Handbook:
“You are counted as having student income if you are undertaking a course and have a student loan or grant in respect of that course.”
Yes, no student income because no longer falls under reg 68.
Para H6152 of the ADM confirms:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907998/admh6.pdf
no student income from date of abandonment of the course
Thanks Will - that could hardly be more clear.