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This Handbook is intended for students and those who advise students, or potential students, in Scotland about their entitlement to benefits. It outlines the benefit rules and focuses on issues relevant to students. It covers both further and higher education. For more detailed information on the rules, see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits Handbook.

This Handbook covers rules affecting students studying in Scotland who are eligible for support through Scottish funding bodies such as the Student Awards Agency Scotland. It does not cover the rules for students getting support from England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or elsewhere outside Scotland.

This Handbook was up to date on 1 August 2025 and is intended to be used for the academic year 2025/26. Rates of grants and loans used are those for the 2025/26 academic year. Benefit and rates used are those from April 2025.

Most full-time students are excluded from benefits, mainly those benefits where entitlement relies on a means test. There is one definition of ‘full-time student’ used for income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit. Other definitions are used for universal credit (UC), carer support payment, new-style jobseeker’s allowance and for council tax. Some students, however, can claim means-tested benefits despite being classed as full time. If you are excluded from one benefit, do not therefore assume that you are excluded from all of them. Who counts as a ‘full-time student’, or as ‘receiving education’ for UC, is explained in detail in the relevant chapters.

A benefit chart (see here) provides an overview of benefit entitlement for students. You may want to use this as a starting point to check possible entitlement and then use the individual chapters for details.

Part 1 looks at students’ entitlement to benefits. Part 2 gives a glossary of student support in further and higher education, and Part 3 considers how each kind of support affects entitlement to UC, other means-tested benefits and health benefits. Part 4 considers other matters – council tax and benefits if you take time out from your studies.

Chapters have endnotes with references to the legal sources. Where an abbreviation is used in the endnotes or in the text, this is explained in Appendix 3 and on here. If you are appealing against a benefit decision, you may want to refer to the law. Appendix 1 suggests where you can find legislation and caselaw.

CPAG, with Scottish government funding, continues to make this Handbook available free online, and provides training, advice and information to advisers in Scotland on benefits for people who are studying or thinking of studying. Please contact Angela Toal on 0141 552 8361, or see cpag.org.uk/advising-students-scotland for details of the support we offer. If you are an adviser and have a specific query on benefits and students, contact our advice line on 0141 552 0552 between 10am and 4pm Monday to Thursday or between 10am and 12 noon on Fridays, or email [email protected].

Please send any comments, corrections or suggestions for inclusion in the next edition to CPAG in Scotland, 5 Renfield Street (4th Floor), Glasgow G2 5EZ; email: [email protected].

The following chart summarises the benefits you may be able to get depending on your circumstances. In each case, there are other tests you must pass to be entitled. The page number in the last column takes you to the relevant chapter, where you will find more details about the rules of entitlement. Part 3 explains which benefits are affected by any grant or loan you get. Terms such as ‘full time’, ‘part time’ and ‘student’ are explained in each benefit chapter. Note: new claims cannot be made for income-related employment and support allowance and cannot usually be made for housing benefit.

* New claims for HB cannot normally be made – see here

• Adult disability payment (ADP) is for people who need help with daily living or who have mobility difficulties.
• Part-time and full-time students can claim.
• If you are a full-time student, getting ADP helps you to be eligible for universal credit (although you must also meet a medical test). In some cases, it also allows you to be eligible for income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit.