Student Support and Benefits Handbook 2021/22Appendix 1 Information and advice
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Information and advice
Student support
Official guidance
The Department for Education issues guidance via the Student Loans Company on existing higher education student support legislation for England and forthcoming provisions. The guidance has no legal standing but may be quoted in an appeal. It is available at practitioners.slc.co.uk and includes:
    •notes for funding bodies on the student support regulations;
    •Student Support Information Notes;
    •notes announcing forthcoming student support provision.
The Department for Education also issues guidance to providers and partners on the learner support schemes in further education in England. These can be found at gov.uk/esfa.
Information and guidance on funding in Wales is available at studentfinancewales.co.uk/practitioners.
Information and guidance on funding in Northern Ireland is available at studentfinanceni.co.uk/practitioners-news/
Further information and support fund guidance for higher education institutions in Northern Ireland is available on the Department for the Economy website at economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/higher-education-student-finance.
Advice
Contact student advisers within institutions and students’ unions for advice on student support. A list of advisory services is available on the website of the National Association of Student Money Advisers at nasma.org.uk.
Social security benefits and tax credits
Publications
The following are available from CPAG at 30 Micawber Street, London N1 7TB. You can order online at cpag.org.uk/shop or by telephone on 020 7837 7979.
    •Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook 2021/22, £35.
    •Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook 2021/22, £69. The 2022/23 edition will be published in April 2022. The book is also available online. See here for more information.
    •Council Tax Handbook, 13th edition (2021), £31.
    •Universal Credit: what you need to know, 6th edition (2020), £15.
    •Disability Rights Handbook 2021/22, £37.
Official guidance
The following guidance, used by decision makers in the DWP and local authorities, is available at gov.uk/dwp. It has no legal standing, but may be used in an appeal, revision or supersession.
    •Advice for Decision Making (for universal credit and personal independence payment).
    •Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Guidance Manual.
    •Decision Makers’ Guide (other benefits).
In Northern Ireland, guidance is provided by the Department for Communities and is available at communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/benefits-and-pensions.
Legislation
    •legislation.gov.uk contains UK legislation. Most is updated.
    •Social Security Legislation, Volumes 1 to 5. Published by Sweet and Maxwell, these volumes contain updated acts and regulations covering social security and tax credits with explanatory commentary. Available from CPAG.
    •CPAG’s Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction Legislation contains updated acts and regulations and a detailed commentary.
    •Decisions of the Upper Tribunal are available from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service website at gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions.
Advice
Contact your student services department or students’ union for advice on studying and claiming benefits.
Other financial help
Publications
    •The Guide to Educational Grants 2020/21 (published by Directory of Social
    Change).
    •The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need 2020/21 (published by Directory of
    Social Change).
    •The Directory of Grant Making Trusts 2022/23 (published by Directory of Social
    Change).
    •Charity Choice UK 2021 (published by Charity Choice/Wilmington Publishing
    and Information) – see also charitychoice.co.uk.
    •The Grants Register 2021 (published by Palgrave Macmillan), containing
    information on postgraduate student awards for both the UK and overseas.
    •British Music and Drama Education Yearbook 2019/20 (published by Rhinegold
    Publishing).
Many of these publications can be found online, in public libraries, or at
university or college libraries. Advice centres may also carry some titles.