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UC & Housing costs for higher education students
I know this will have been dealt with previously, but couldn’t find the answer to my query
I’m helping a 20 year old gentleman who is on a 3 day a week Access to higher education course at his local college.
At the moment he in receipt of UC with no housing costs, would this type of education be classed has non advanced.
Which would then allow him to claim housing costs
I think we need to take a step back - there are no longer any restrictions on the availability of housing costs to claimants aged 18-21. So the situation is that if your client is entitled to UC and has housing costs to pay, they should be included in his award according to normal rules.
But to answer your question, an access to higher education diploma is apparently a “level 3” qualification equivalent to A levels (i.e. GCE); so that would place it outside the definition of advanced education under Reg 12 of the UC Regs.
https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
If this is a full-time course and your client is “without parental support”, then they would meet Regs 14(a) and 89(1)(e) and would not be subject to any work-related requirements.
Many thanks Elliott
Yes, my client is without parental support, he applied for a 1 bed flat with an housing association and they blocked because they didn’t think he would get any housing costs. The college course is only 3 days a week but it is classed has full time.
Sometimes it’s best to double check these things, just to reassure yourself before contacting the housing association.