Starting university and claiming DLA

Hi,

Im thinking of possibly starting university this year but I might not do but if I did I was wondering whether I'll lose my DLA if I attend university. I currently have higher rate care and I currently live at home with my parents and I would be studying from home. My course would also only be 12/13 hours a week contact time so the rest I would study at home. I was wondering if anyone knew if that would affect DLA or not? I know it shouldn't do but with the new government anything could happen...
any jelp I'll be grateful
thanks

Reply 1

River85

17

Original post by theonlyalex

Hi,

Im thinking of possibly starting university this year but I might not do but if I did I was wondering whether I'll lose my DLA if I attend university. I currently have higher rate care and I currently live at home with my parents and I would be studying from home. My course would also only be 12/13 hours a week contact time so the rest I would study at home. I was wondering if anyone knew if that would affect DLA or not? I know it shouldn't do but with the new government anything could happen...
any jelp I'll be grateful
thanks

DLA is paid to people with mobility or care needs. It isn't means tested, nor is it affected by hours in work or study.

Unless the course contradicts the reasons why you are claiming DLA then, yes, you can still claim. However, you must inform the DWP should you start the course as well as any change of address.

Moreover, if you continue claiming DLA you can try and claiming housing benefit to cover accomodation costs (disabled students in receipt of DLA are one of the few groups of FT students who can claim Housing Benefit). You may also be eligible to claim for Employment and Support Allowance. Some of your student finance will be taken into account when calculating entitlement to both Housing Benefit and ESA.

Reply 2

theonlyalex

OP

Okay thanks
I've just heard that lately people are saying that people who start work or become a full time student are now fit for work and no longer need DLA. So I was concerned. And when you say dwp does it have to be to DLA Themselves? And do dwp need to know where I'm going?

Reply 3

theonlyalex

OP

Original post by River85

DLA is paid to people with mobility or care needs. It isn't means tested, nor is it affected by hours in work or study.

Unless the course contradicts the reasons why you are claiming DLA then, yes, you can still claim. However, you must inform the DWP should you start the course as well as any change of address.

Moreover, if you continue claiming DLA you can try and claiming housing benefit to cover accomodation costs (disabled students in receipt of DLA are one of the few groups of FT students who can claim Housing Benefit). You may also be eligible to claim for Employment and Support Allowance. Some of your student finance will be taken into account when calculating entitlement to both Housing Benefit and ESA.

Okay thanks
I've just heard that lately people are saying that people who start work or become a full time student are now fit for work and no longer need DLA. So I was concerned. And when you say dwp does it have to be to DLA Themselves? And do dwp need to know where I'm going?

Reply 4

River85

17

Original post by theonlyalex

Okay thanks
I've just heard that lately people are saying that people who start work or become a full time student are now fit for work and no longer need DLA.

There are many people who claim DLA and work full-time. DLA isn't (and never was) intended to be a sickness benefit for those too ill to work. Providing you don't do things during your course which you've claimed you can't do on your DLA (such as walking unaided for a certain distance) you shouldn't need to worry.

And when you say dwp does it have to be to DLA Themselves? And do dwp need to know where I'm going?

I think they ask you to inform them if you start studying full-time. You will certainly need to inform them of any new address.

It would be the Disability Benefits people at the DWP: -

https://www.gov.uk/disability-benefits-helpline

Reply 5

theonlyalex

OP

Original post by River85

There are many people who claim DLA and work full-time. DLA isn't (and never was) intended to be a sickness benefit for those too ill to work. Providing you don't do things during your course which you've claimed you can't do on your DLA (such as walking unaided for a certain distance) you shouldn't need to worry.

Okay thanks,
I've read different elsewhere saying that attending university could trigger a DLA review but I don't know if anyone has actually had a review because they've startedd Uni or not, so I just wanted to clear that up.

Reply 6

River85

17

Original post by theonlyalex

Okay thanks,
I've read different elsewhere saying that attending university could trigger a DLA review but I don't know if anyone has actually had a review because they've startedd Uni or not, so I just wanted to clear that up.

If it's thought that the course contradicts with the reasons you claimed DLA, then I can believe this may happen as already mentioned.

But I struggle to think of many examples of when a course may contradict with the reasons for claiming DLA. Even courses with some workplace element, which may involve walking and standing for long periods (so potentially a problem for some who receive the mobility component), reasonable adjustments are made.

I began to claim DLA when at university (had I made a successful claim before starting university I'm sure I would have been able to continue my claim throughout my time at university without difficulty), a number of others on this site have claimed DLA during their entire degree.

With the move to PIP you will likely be undergoing a medical assessment this year or next year anyway, wouldn't you?

Reply 7

theonlyalex

OP

Original post by River85

If it's thought that the course contradicts with the reasons you claimed DLA, then I can believe this may happen as already mentioned.

But I struggle to think of many examples of when a course may contradict with the reasons for claiming DLA. Even courses with some workplace element, which may involve walking and standing for long periods (so potentially a problem for some who receive the mobility component), reasonable adjustments are made.

I began to claim DLA when at university (had I made a successful claim before starting university I'm sure I would have been able to continue my claim throughout my time at university without difficulty), a number of others on this site have claimed DLA during their entire degree.

With the move to PIP you will likely be undergoing a medical assessment this year or next year anyway, wouldn't you?

I understand the contradictions to if someone is standing up for long periods when they claim higher rate mobility DLA and being reassessed because how can they do that it they claim that, I understand that. But I get higher rate so I have to be supervised constantly but I did go to school once and I coped for a long time until I left, but clearly that was ok for DLA I'd hope Uni would be okay for DLA as I would be supervised constantly. But I do know things are tighter so I wouldn't know if it would trigger anything.

What type of DLA did you claim can I ask? I mean higher rate care or mobility etc?

I'm aware about pip, but I have also heard that if there's any chance of someone's condition improved or if someone reports the dwp about fraud for a particular person then the person will be reassessed for pip, and I don't want that to happen to me earlier than it should so that's why I don't want to trigger anything. Next year I understand that pip will come although I'm not sure if if get it and I don't even know if anyone has been able to successfully claim it.

Starting university and claiming DLA

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