Means-tested welfare benefits

Most full time students are not eligible for Universal credit, but you may be entitled as a full-time student if at least one of the following applies to you:

• you're a lone parent (including foster parents)
• you're living as a couple with another student and you have at least 1 dependent child
• you're getting Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance and you have been assessed as having “limited capability for work” before they start their degree course.
• you're making a joint claim with a non-student partner who is eligible for UC in their own right

It’s possible that during term-time your income will be too high to receive UC, but your entitlement should be reassessed during the summer vacation when your student income is nil.

Full time study does not affect any entitlement to child Benefit. If you're eligible you'll get £25.60 a week for your first child and £16.95 a week for any children after that.You can claim Child Benefit if:

• you're 'responsible for the child'
• the child is under 16 years old - or 16 to 20 years old and still in education or training