Can I Claim Universal Credit as a Full-Time Student?
Most full-time students cannot get Universal Credit, but there are important exceptions. Here is how the rules work, how student finance is counted, and where to get help.
Many students assume Universal Credit is off the table while they study. The basic rule makes it hard, but there are real exceptions, and some students can claim throughout their course. Here is how the rules work, how student finance affects payments, and where to get advice.
Can full-time students claim Universal Credit?
Usually not. You cannot normally get Universal Credit while studying full-time, because full-time students are expected to cover living costs through student finance. There are exceptions, though. The school, college or university offering the course usually decides whether it counts as full-time, and if you enrol on a full-time course but attend for fewer hours, the benefits system still treats you as studying full-time.
Who can claim while studying full-time?
You may be able to claim if any of these apply:
- You are 21 or under, studying full-time non-advanced education such as A levels, and do not have parental support. The course must have started before you turned 21.
- You live with a partner who is eligible for Universal Credit. Couples make a joint claim, and household income and savings are assessed together.
- You and your partner are responsible for a child, and one or both of you studies.
- You have a disability or health condition, were assessed as having limited capability for work before your course started and receive a qualifying disability benefit, such as Disability Living Allowance or one of the disability payments available in Scotland.
- You have been sent a Migration Notice letter, which requires you to claim Universal Credit instead of a benefit it is replacing, such as Housing Benefit.
- You are in full-time non-advanced education, get no student loan or maintenance grant and are available for work. For courses of more than 12 hours a week, this applies only from the 1 September after your 19th birthday, because parents can still claim benefits for a young person until then.
- You have taken time out of your course for illness or caring responsibilities and are waiting to return.
If your partner is not a student, they may be able to claim for you both.
How does student finance count as income?
Universal Credit is means-tested, so student income reduces what you receive. Maintenance loans count as income, and here is the detail that catches people out: the loan counts even if you choose not to take it. If you could get a maintenance loan but do not apply, your Universal Credit is calculated as if you had received it.
Some grants are ignored entirely.
| Counted as income | Usually disregarded |
|---|---|
| Maintenance loan, even if not taken out | Disabled Students’ Allowance |
| Maintenance Grant for full-time students | Special Support Grant |
| 30% of the maximum postgraduate loan | Parents’ Learning Allowance |
For undergraduates, the maintenance loan is averaged across the academic year and divided into monthly amounts, then £110 of the monthly figure is disregarded before the rest is deducted. For postgraduate students, Universal Credit is based on 30% of the maximum postgraduate loan, with the same £110 disregard.
Charitable grants follow separate rules: regular payments from a charity are not counted as income, while a one-off payment counts as capital and may still affect your claim.
What happens during summer breaks?
Your student income stops counting during the long summer vacation. It is included in the monthly assessment periods that fall within the academic year, usually 9 or 10 of them, although longer courses can involve 11. Your Universal Credit often rises over the summer.
Earnings follow their own rules. If you take a summer job, your payment falls by 55p for every £1 you earn. There is no limit on the hours you can work while receiving Universal Credit, but rising wages reduce the payment until it stops. If your wages fall again within 6 months of your last payment, payments restart automatically; after that, you must reapply.
Can you claim if you study part-time?
Possibly, yes. You may get Universal Credit while studying part-time if you are available for work and your course does not stop you meeting your work-related requirements. Depending on your circumstances, you might be expected to look for work, and you could be asked to agree to give up your course if you are offered a job. You can suggest to your work coach that the course improves your job prospects and should reduce your job-search hours, but this needs their agreement.
One age rule applies again: for non-advanced courses of more than 12 hours a week, the part-time route starts with the 1 September after your 19th birthday. Our guide to studying part-time with the Open University looks at how flexible study fits around other commitments.
How do you apply, and what evidence do you need?
The application process is set out on GOV.UK, and payments are normally monthly, or twice a month for some people in Scotland. Couples must make a joint claim, even if one partner is not eligible.
Have your student finance award letter ready. You receive a new one each academic year showing the breakdown of your award, including any special support element, which Universal Credit needs to see. You will also accept a claimant commitment setting out what you must do to keep the payment; what is required of students varies, so discuss it with your work coach.
Study tip
Turning down a maintenance loan does not protect your Universal Credit, because the loan is counted whether you take it or not. Check how each element of your student finance is treated before deciding what to accept.
Where can you get free benefits advice?
A student adviser at your university or college can work out whether you qualify. If you already claim income-related benefits and are thinking of starting a course, your local Jobs and Benefits office in Northern Ireland can explain the effect on your payments. Turn2us runs a Find an Adviser tool for locating local advisers, plus a Grants Search listing educational charities that help students. GOV.UK offers a benefits calculator, and our guide to Student Finance in England covers loans and repayment.
Related guides
- Degree Apprenticeships: Earn a Degree While You Work: a paid route that combines a wage with study, which changes how benefits apply.
- Free and Low-Cost Courses for Adults in England: ways to build skills without large costs while money is tight.
The short version
- Most full-time students cannot claim Universal Credit, but there are exceptions, including students aged 21 or under without parental support and students with certain disability benefits.
- Maintenance loans count as income for Universal Credit even if you choose not to take them out.
- Student income counts during the academic year but not the long summer vacation, usually across 9 or 10 monthly assessment periods.
- Part-time students may claim if they are available for work and their course does not stop their work-related activities.
- Get advice from a student adviser or a benefits adviser before starting a course if you already claim benefits.
Questions students ask
Does my maintenance loan reduce my Universal Credit even if I do not take it?
Yes. If you could receive a maintenance loan but do not apply, your Universal Credit is calculated as if you had been given it.
Can I claim Universal Credit during the summer holidays?
Student income is not counted during the long summer vacation, so your Universal Credit may rise. Any wages from a summer job will reduce your payment by 55p for each £1 you earn.
Can I claim Universal Credit if I study part-time?
Part-time students may claim if they are available for work and their course does not stop them meeting their work-related requirements. Discuss your situation with your work coach or a benefits adviser.
Where can I get free advice about benefits as a student?
A student adviser at your university or college can help, and Turn2us offers a Find an Adviser tool for locating local advisers. In Northern Ireland, your local Jobs and Benefits office can explain how studying affects existing benefits.
This guide is general information for students in the UK. Dates, fees and rules change, so always check the latest details with UCAS, GOV.UK, Student Finance England or your university or college before making decisions.
