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Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook
2025/26
Last updated: 2 September 2026
Handbook index →

Go to

  • Prelims
  • The author
  • Acknowledgements
  • Abbreviations
  • Universal credit rates 2025/26
  • Other means-tested benefit rates 2025/26
  • Non-means-tested benefit rates 2025/26
  • How to use this Handbook
    • Up to date
    • Full-time students
    • Structure of the Handbook
    • Further information, training and advice
  • Benefits overview
  • Part 1: Benefits
    • Chapter 1: Adult disability payment
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is adult disability payment
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Daily living component
        • Mobility component
        • Students
      • 3. Amount of benefit
      • 4. Claiming adult disability payment
      • 5. Challenging a decision
      • 6. Other benefits
    • Chapter 2: Carer support payment
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is carer support payment
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Full-time non-advanced education
        • Basic rules
      • 3. Amount of benefit
      • 4. Claiming carer support payment
      • 5. Challenging a decision
      • 6. Other benefits
        • The disabled person’s benefit
        • Overlapping benefits
        • Getting a carer premium or element
        • Scottish carer supplement
        • Carer additional person payment
        • Young carer grant
    • Chapter 3: Child benefit
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is child benefit
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Who counts as a child
        • Who counts as a qualifying young person
        • The extension period
        • The terminal date
      • 3. Amount of benefit
      • 4. Claiming child benefit
        • Getting paid
      • 5. Challenging a decision
      • 6. Other benefits
    • Chapter 4: Employment and support allowance
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is employment and support allowance
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Contributory employment and support allowance
        • Income-related employment and support allowance
          • Full-time student
      • 3. Limited capability for work
      • 4. Amount of benefit
        • Contributory employment and support allowance
        • Income-related employment and support allowance
          • Step 1: capital
          • Step 2: work out your applicable amount
          • Step 3: work out your weekly income
          • Step 4: deduct weekly income from applicable amount
          • Applicable amount
            • Personal allowance
            • Premiums
            • Components
            • Housing costs
      • 5. Claiming employment and support allowance
      • 6. Challenging a decision
      • 7. Other benefits
    • Chapter 5: Health benefits
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What are health benefits
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Under age 19
        • Under age 26
        • Age 26 or over
        • Qualifying benefits
        • Exempt groups
          • Dental treatment
          • Vouchers for glasses or contact lenses
          • Fares to hospital
        • Low income scheme
          • Step 1: capital
          • Step 2: work out your requirements
          • Step 3: work out your weekly income
          • Step 4: deduct weekly income from requirements
      • 3. Claiming health benefits
      • 4. Challenging a decision
    • Chapter 6: Housing benefit
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is housing benefit
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Full-time students
          • Who counts as a full-time student
          • Who can get housing benefit
        • Studying part time
      • 3. Basic rules
        • Liable for rent
        • Your normal home
          • You are away from your term-time home
          • You have two homes
        • Eligible accommodation
          • Halls of residence
      • 4. Amount of benefit
        • Step 1 capital
        • Step 2: maximum rent
          • Discretionary housing payments
        • Step 3: deductions for non-dependants
        • Step 4: getting a means-tested benefit
        • Step 5: not getting a means-tested benefit
        • Step 6: work out your applicable amount
        • Step 7: work out your weekly income
        • Step 8: calculate your housing benefit
      • 5. Claiming housing benefit
      • 6. Challenging a decision
      • 7. Other benefits
        • The benefit cap
        • Passported benefits
    • Chapter 7: New-style jobseeker’s allowance
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is new-style jobseeker’s allowance
      • 2. Who is eligible
      • 3. Basic rules
      • 4. Amount of benefit
      • 5. Claiming jobseeker’s allowance
      • 6. Challenging a decision
      • 7. Other benefits
    • Chapter 8: Maternity, paternity and other parental benefits
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What are maternity, paternity and other parental benefits
        • Statutory maternity pay
        • Maternity allowance
        • Statutory paternity pay
        • Statutory adoption pay
        • Statutory shared parental pay
        • Statutory parental bereavement pay
        • Statutory neonatal care pay
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Statutory maternity pay
        • Maternity allowance
        • Statutory paternity pay
        • Statutory adoption pay
        • Statutory shared parental pay
        • Statutory parental bereavement pay
        • Statutory neonatal care pay
      • 3. Amount of benefit
      • 4. Claiming maternity, paternity and other parental benefits
      • 5. Challenging a decision
      • 6. Other benefits
    • Chapter 9: Universal credit
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is universal credit
      • 2. Who is eligible
        • Students
          • Modular courses
        • Who can claim universal credit
          • Work-related requirements
      • 3. Basic rules
      • 4. Amount of benefit
        • Step 1: capital
        • Step 2: work out your maximum amount
        • Step 3: work out your monthly income
        • Step 4: deduct monthly income from maximum amount
        • Your maximum amount
          • Standard allowance
          • Child element
          • Elements for illness
          • Carer element
          • Housing costs element
            • Help with your rent
          • Childcare element
      • 5. Claiming universal credit
      • 6. Challenging a decision
      • 7. Other benefits
        • The benefit cap
        • Passported benefits
    • Chapter 10: Other payments
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Scottish child payment
      • 2. Best Start grants
      • 3. Best Start foods
      • 4. Funeral support payment
      • 5. Budgeting loans
      • 6. The Scottish Welfare Fund
      • 7. Challenging a decision
  • Part 2: Student support
    • Chapter 11: Student support
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Full-time higher education
        • Previous study
        • Tuition fees
        • Student loans
        • Care-experienced students’ bursary
        • Young students’ bursary
        • Independent students’ bursary
        • Estranged students’ bursary
        • Lone parents’ grant
        • Summer accommodation grant
        • Disabled students’ allowance
        • Childcare fund
        • Higher education discretionary fund
      • 2. Full-time further education
        • Education maintenance allowance
        • Bursary maintenance allowance
        • Care-experienced bursary maintenance allowance
        • Dependants’ allowance
        • Additional support needs for learning allowance (ASNLA)
        • Study expenses allowance
        • Travel expenses allowance
        • Further education discretionary fund
        • Childcare fund
      • 3. Part-time students
        • Higher education courses
        • Further education courses
      • 4. Postgraduates
      • 5. Paramedic, nursing and midwifery students
        • Bursary
        • Grants for living costs
      • 6. Other support for students
        • Sponsorship and scholarships
        • Educational trusts and endowments
  • Part 3: Treatment of income
    • Chapter 12: How income affects universal credit
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Working out your income
      • 2. Grants and loans
        • If you get a student loan for maintenance
        • If you do not get a student loan for maintenance
      • 3. Dividing income throughout the year
      • 4. Earnings
      • 5. Benefits
      • 6. Maintenance
      • 7. Savings and other capital
    • Chapter 13: How income affects means-tested benefits
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Working out your income
      • 2. Grants and loans
        • Grants
          • Undergraduate grants
          • Paramedic, nursing and midwifery students’ grants
          • Postgraduate grants
          • Grants in further education
        • Student loans for maintenance
      • 3. Dividing student income throughout the year
        • Student loans for maintenance
          • Courses starting in the autumn term lasting more than a year
          • Courses not starting in the autumn term
          • Courses lasting one year or less
          • If you leave your course early
        • Grants
          • The standard rule for grants
          • Higher education grants
          • Paramedic, nursing and midwifery bursaries
          • Further education grants
          • Postgraduate funding
          • If you leave your course early
      • 4. Discretionary funds and other payments
        • Discretionary funds
          • Lump-sum payments
          • Regular payments
          • Payments before a course starts or before a loan is paid
        • Other payments
          • Voluntary or charitable payments
      • 5. Earnings
      • 6. Benefits
      • 7. Maintenance
      • 8. Savings and other capital
    • Chapter 14: How income affects health benefits
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Working out your income
      • 2. Grants and loans
        • Grants
        • Student loan
      • 3. Discretionary funds and other payments
        • Discretionary funds
          • Lump-sum payments
          • Regular payments
        • Other payments
          • Voluntary or charitable payments
      • 4. Earnings
      • 5. Benefits
      • 6. Maintenance
      • 7. Savings and other capital
  • Part 4: Other matters
    • Chapter 15: Council tax
      • Basic facts
      • 1. What is council tax
      • 2. Who pays council tax
        • Who counts as a student
          • Under 20 in further education
          • Under 20 in higher education
          • 20 or over in further or higher education
          • Articulating or direct entry students
        • Exempt dwellings
        • Who is liable for council tax
          • Couples
        • Discounts
        • Disability reduction
      • 3. Council tax reduction
        • Students eligible for council tax reduction
      • 4. Second adult rebate
    • Chapter 16: Time out from studies
      • Basic facts
      • 1. Ill health
        • Full-time students
          • From the start of your ill health
          • From three months
          • From 28 weeks
          • Once you have recovered
          • Student support
        • Part-time students
          • From the start of your ill health
          • From three months
          • Once you have recovered
      • 2. Pregnancy and children
        • Lone parents
        • Fathers and partners
        • Couples
      • 3. Carers
      • 4. Re-sits
      • 5. Time out for other reasons
      • Appendices
  • Appendix 1: Information and advice
    • Publications
    • Official guidance
    • Legislation
    • Advice
  • Appendix 2: Useful addresses
    • CPAG in Scotland
      • Student Information Scotland
      • Lead Scotland
      • National Union of Students Scotland
      • Scottish Funding Council
      • Scottish Social Services Council
      • Student Awards Agency Scotland
      • Student Loans Company
      • UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs
  • Appendix 3: Abbreviations used in the notes
    • Acts of Parliament
      • Regulations
      • Other information

Breadcrumb

  1. Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook 2025/26
  2. Part 3: Treatment of income
  3. Chapter 14: How income affects health benefits

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