6 month wait for ESA after abandoning FT course?

Wondering if anyone has heard of this previously.

I provide advice through a children’s cancer charity helpline and one of the social workers has been dealing with a young person (19) who has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is currently a full-time student.

The student is not special rules and so PIP is not yet in payment and the young person doesn’t have enough NI for c-based ESA. The student intends to abandon their course but when they spoke to ESA, they were informed that a new rule has recently emerged where if the student abandons their course of their own free will then there will be a 6 month wait before ESA is paid. However, if the university instigate the process then it can be paid immediately.

This was during the phone call to apply for ESA, no official decision has been made and the student has not yet officially abandoned. Thoughts? Is this rubbish? Googling hasn’t directed me towards any new decisions.

Thank you.

I haven’t come across a bright line rule like that. I suspect its bunkum.

Your client is however still going to need to show that they have permanently abandoned the course and they are not going to be entitled until they can convince the DM that they have done so. Permanence is a crucial element there - you can’t temporarily abandon a course whilst recovering from illness. The alternative is to wait for the PIP award and claim as a student whilst on a temporary absence from the course.