Benefit Entitlement during the Summer Vacation

If you are a full-time single parent student who will be continuing your studies next academic year, you should be assessed as eligible to receive Income Support (if at least one of your children is under 10), Job Seekers Allowance (If your children are over 10)* and Housing Benefit during the Summer vacation months of July and August.

Your Student Loan is included as income when calculating benefit from the first benefit week in September until the last benefit week in June each year. Therefore when calculating benefit entitlement, a continuing student’s income will not include the Loan during July and August.

If you have already put in a claim for Income Support and Housing Benefit this academic year, you will need to inform your Benefits Agency that there will be a change in your circumstances; i.e. that you will have a reduction of income from the first benefit week in July. If you have not yet put in a benefit claim this academic year, you should request the relevant application forms now, stating you wish to apply for benefit from the first benefit week in July as you are a student.

If your child/children are 7 plus, then you should claim Job Seekers Allowance during the summer vacation instead of Income Support.

*This is a relatively new rule. If the staff at the Job Centre Plus are not aware of it suggest that they refer to the ‘Decision Makers Guide Memo 20/08’ (this is an information guide for Job Centre Plus staff). So, if you are a lone parent who is not eligible to claim IS over the summer due to your children’s ages, you are eligible to claim JSA.

Some Benefit Agencies do not deal with students on a regular basis and it might be useful to refer them to Social Security Amendment (Students and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 No 1599 Regarding Income Support and  JSA  and HB/CTB Circular A18/2009 and HB/CTB Circular A1/2010 regarding Housing Benefit.

You can also claim Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (depending on the age of your only or youngest child) during the summer vacation if you are a member of a couple who are both full time students and you are responsible for a child or ‘qualifying young person’. You can only claim Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance during the Summer Vacation.

Any student receiving the same level of Income Support  and Housing Benefit during September as in July and August or any level of Job Seekers Allowance during September,  is advised to refer their Benefits Agency to the above bulletin references.

Please note that if you receive the same level of benefits during September as in July and August, this is likely to be an error and you will be liable to repay these amounts.