Students
Most students in full-time higher education cannot claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit. In general a full time student is one attending a course that involves 16 hours or more of guided learning per week.
The following categories of students may be able to claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit:
- Non-student partners of students.
- Students who are under 20 years old, and who are following a course of further education. As soon as a student in this category reaches age 20 they are no longer entitled to HB under this provision.
- Couples who are both students and have dependant children.
- Lone parents or Lone Foster parents.
- Disabled Students who receive the Disability Premium and/or Severe Disability Allowance and/or Long term Incapacity Benefit.
- Disabled Students who qualify for Disabled Students Allowance on account of their deafness.
- Students who are in receipt of Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance.
- Pensioners who receive the Pensioner Premium.
- Part-time Students. A part-time course involves less than 16 hours of guided learning per week.
- Students who have been incapable for work for 28 weeks or more.
- Intercalating Students. These are students who have interrupted their studies because they are recovering from illness or have been caring for someone else, and have not yet recommenced their studies.
