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).
NB: See below for equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland.
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. |
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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 |
Sets out how student income is treated, which period it covers, and when you can be treated as having student income. |
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Case law provides further interpretation of the legislation and establishes legal precedent.
Upper Tribunal |
Student’s unearned income for purposes of universal credit assessed as if maximum available student loan had not been reduced on account of Welsh Government maintenance grant |
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Upper Tribunal |
Income from student maintenance loan that was used to pay tuition fees did not reduce the amount to be taken into account in the calculation of income for universal credit |