Special Support Loan - SFE

username2962074

There is this thing called a special support loan offered to certain eligible students.

There is almost no information on SFE and on the web about the specifics of what this loan entails and how much it is, especially for the 2021/22 period and the 22/23 period

Can someone explain how much this extra loan is and how it would be paid out?

Why is there nothing on an official site to explain it in 2022?

Reply 1

Lynsey SFE

Official Rep

Original post by Vicee

Hello,

A student may be eligible to the Special Support Loan (SSL) if they;
-Are disabled and qualify for income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
-Are treated as incapable of work for at least 28 weeks
-Are disabled and are eligible to receive Disability Premium or severe Disability Premium
-Are aged over 60 on the first day of the first Academic Year (AY) of their course
-Are returning to a course after taking agreed time out due to an illness or caring responsibility that has now ended
-Are deaf and in receipt of Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
-Are entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
-Are entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
-Are entitled to Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
-Have a partner who is also a student and one or both of them are responsible for a child who is not in full time education as they have not reached school age (under 5), a child who is in full time education under higher education level (school age) or a young person (under 20) who is in full time education under higher education level (Open University does not count as full time study)
-Are a lone parent of a child who is not in full time education as they have not reached school age (under 5), a child who is in full time education under higher education level (school age) or a young person (under 20) who is in full time education under higher education level
-Are a lone foster parent of a child or young person aged under 20

SSL eligibility is also based on household income therefore, we cannot guarantee that students who meet one or more of the qualifying criteria will receive SSL. Students who receive the following may be eligible;
-Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
-Incapacity benefits
-Disability Premium / Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
-Personal Independant Payment (PIP)
-Armed Forced Independent Payment (AFIP)
-Housing Benefit or Housing element of Universal Tax Credit

Students who are eligible to Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit during their studies will also need to fall under one of the other Special Support categories. Students can no longer claim for the SSL solely claiming housing benefit.

Thanks, Lynsey.

Reply 2

Brettmacg

I have applied for SSL as I am on p.i.p over 4 weeks ago and I Have not heard anything still. How long does the process take?