Welfare benefits you may get while studying in further education

You get Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child or young person. A child is someone who is under 16 years of age. A young person is someone who remains in full-time non-advanced or further education up until the age of 20.

Non-advanced education is typically anything below HNC level in Scotland, such as high school. Find out more about what further education is.

Child Benefit can affect your income tax. If your income is more than £50,000 p/a you can get child benefit but you will pay more income tax. This is known as the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge. If you earn more than £60,000 100% of the amount of Child Benefit you receive will be added to your income tax.

Child Benefit weekly rates:

• first or only child: £26.05 
• second and subsequent children: £17.25 

You can apply for child benefit on form CH2 from HM Revenue & Customs.

The Scottish Child Payment is £27.15 a week given to eligible families for each child under the age of 16.

The payments do not affect any other benefits you are receiving.

For more information see Scottish Child Payment and Bridging Payments.

Universal Credit has replaced other income related benefits.

If you do not get tax credits and Housing Benefit, or if you have to stop claiming these because of the change in your circumstances when you become a student, you may get Universal Credit to top up your bursary.

Universal Credit is paid monthly.

In order to receive Universal Credit you are usually asked to complete tasks that will help you find paid work. Students who also get a bursary from the college do not have to do these.

If you do not get a bursary you will only be able to study full-time and claim Universal Credit if you have a child under the age of 3 years. If your youngest child is 3 years or older you can study part-time and get Universal Credit but may need to look for work.

These benefits have been replaced by Universal Credit and no new claims can be made for them. If you are receiving any of them when you start your course you may continue to do so, however the change in your circumstances may mean you will no longer get them or will have to claim Universal Credit instead.

See our Benefits have changed information pages.

Full-time students cannot receive income-based or new style (contribution-based) Jobseeker’s Allowance as studying limits the time they are able to look for and take up work. If you study part-time you can continue to get income-based or new style Jobseeker’s Allowance but may also have to look for work, attend interviews and take a job if offered one.

Students in receipt of new style (contribution-based) Employment and Support Allowance can continue to get it while studying. Students in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance can only continue to get it if they are also getting Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or if they are studying part-time.

Full-time students cannot get Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment. You can get it if you study part-time but it could affect other benefits you get.

Full time students do not pay Council Tax unless they have other non-student adults living with them. Part-time students need to pay Council Tax but may get a discount or a Council Tax Reduction depending on their income.

For more information see Help to pay Council Tax