Written question asked by Earl Russell (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 September 2002. It was answered by Baroness Hollis of Heigham (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 September 2002.

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Hollis of Heigham, Baroness

Question

How many days after withdrawal from their courses students become eligible for social security benefits other than crisis loans, and whether they accept the objective of the Social Security Housing Committee that all intercalating students should be eligible either for education support or for social security support, and which recommendations of the Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on the draft Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 (Cm 4739) they have now adopted; which they have not adopted; and what would be the cost of adopting those recommendations, and whether they consider that students who are single parents and whose youngest child reaches 16 before the conclusion of their course should remain eligible for social security benefits until the conclusion of their course; and what the likely cost of such eligibility would be, and whether the concept of "last day of course" (as referred to in paragraphs 43-46 of the Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739)) is one which cannot easily be applied to postgraduate students, and whether they accept the view of the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739, paragraph 36) that "the Government should recognise the wide variety of circumstances which can give rise to necessary breaks in full-time study, switches to part-time study or examination failure", and whether they accept the view of the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739, paragraph 48) that those who lose exemption from council tax should thereby acquire liability for council tax benefit; and, if they see any justifiable exemptions from this principle, on what grounds. [HL 5376] [HL 5372] [HL 5388] [HL 5389] [HL 5390] [HL 5391] [HL 5392].

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

HL 5376; 638 c199-201WA

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Council tax benefits Disability Benefits rules Carers Finance Eligibility Higher education Lone parents Part-time education Social security benefits Students Sick leave Postgraduate education