Full-time students
Which benefits you are eligible for depends on how long you have been ill, your age, whether you have paid any national insurance (NI) contributions, and whether you need personal care or have mobility difficulties. Once you have recovered, you may be able to get universal credit (UC) or, occasionally, jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) until you can return to your course.
You usually still count as a full-time student when taking time out of your course, unless you have completely abandoned or been dismissed from it (but see
here for when this may not apply).
1UC Reg 13(1)(a) UC Regs
ESA Reg 2(1), definition of ‘period of study’, ESA Regs
HB Reg 53(2) HB Regs
Note: if you have to take time out from your studies because you are ill, you cannot usually make a new claim for income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) or housing benefit (HB), since these benefits are in the process of being replaced by UC. However, an exception applies (for HB only), if you are in certain specified or temporary accommodation (see
here).