Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to reform Universal Credit to provide greater access to that benefit for students.

The government has no plans to change eligibility rules for Universal Credit to provide greater access for students.

The core objective of Universal Credit is to support claimants to enter work, earn more or prepare for work in the future. Whilst financial support for higher/advanced education students comes from the current system of learner loans and grants designed for their needs, it is also a condition of entitlement for Universal Credit that the person must not be in full-time education.

Exceptions are made where students have additional needs that cannot be met through the student support system of loans and grants, such as being responsible for a child.