Treatment of student income

The rules that provide for how student income is treated are set out in the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (SI.No.376/2013).

When student income is taken into account	Regulation 68 of SI.No.376/2013	Sets out when a person is treated as having student income.
Student loans	Regulation 69 of SI.No.376/2013	Sets out how income from student loans, including postgraduate loans, is taken into account including when the loan is not taken up in full, or at all.
Student grants	Regulation 70 of SI.No.376/2013	Sets out how income from student grants is taken into account and what disregards may apply.
Amount to be taken into account in each assessment period	Regulation 71 of SI.No.376/2013	Sets out how the student income is assigned to each assessment period that the course covers.

In Northern Ireland, SR.No.216/2016 makes provisions that are largely equivalent to those in Great Britain.

Further explanation of the legislation is set out in guidance. Please note, however, guidance is not binding and cannot override the legislation.

Advice for decision-making	Chapter H6	Sets out how student income is treated, which period it covers, and when you can be treated as having student income.

Case law provides further interpretation of the legislation and establishes legal precedent.

We’re not aware of any case law relating to this issue.