Courses not starting in the autumn term
Your student loan is divided over the number of weeks starting from the first day of the first benefit week on or after the beginning of a standard academic year and ending on the last day of the last benefit week on or before the last day of the academic year, but excluding benefit weeks that fall entirely within the quarter that is taken by the DWP to be the longest vacation.
1IS Reg 66A(2)(b) IS Regs
JSA Reg 136(2)(b) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 137(3)(d) ESA Regs
HB Reg 64(2)(d) HB Regs
Academic years
’Academic years’ are the 12 months beginning on 1 January, 1 April or 1 July for courses that begin in winter, spring or summer respectively.
2IS Reg 66A(2)(aa) IS Regs
JSA Reg 136(2)(c) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 137(3)(e) ESA RegsHB Reg 64(2)(b) HB Regs
’Quarters’ are 1 January to 31 March, 1 April to 30 June, 1 July to 31 August, 1 September to 31 December.
3IS Reg 61(1) IS Regs
JSA Reg 136(2)(aa) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 137(3)(b) ESA Regs
HB Reg 53(1) HB Regs
Example
Madeleine’s course begins on 2 January 2023. The main vacation is 5 June to 25 August 2023. She is claiming HB and the benefit week starts on a Monday. Her loan is divided over the weeks from Monday 2 January 2023 to Sunday 2 July 2023, and from Monday 28 August 2023 until Sunday 31 December 2023. From 3 July to 27 August 2023, her student loan income is nil for benefit purposes.