Can You Claim Benefits If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

If you are wondering whether you can claim benefits if you are a 20-year-old at college, you will find detailed guidance through the following blog post. In addition to answering your question, we will also discuss the eligibility criteria, the application process and the payments to expect in such cases.

Can You Claim Benefits If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

Yes, you may be able to claim certain benefits if you are a 20-year-old studying at college. These include the following benefits:

Universal Credit
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance

However, there are certain conditions that apply to 20-year-olds at college so that they may be able to claim these benefits. If you are a 20-year-old at college, you would need to meet the eligibility criteria for each benefit before you can apply to the DWP for a separate claim for each benefit.

College students who qualify as being disabled will be able to claim these additional benefits as well:

Personal Independence Payment
Disability Living Allowance
Attendance Allowance
Armed Forces Independence Payment
Child Disability Payment in Scotland
Adult Disability Payment in Scotland

In addition to disability benefits, undergraduate and postgraduate students with a mental health condition, long-term illness or any form of disability can claim the Disabled Student’s Allowance to provide them with specialist equipment such as a computer, non-medical helpers like a British Sign Language interpreter, a specialist note taker, additional commute to attend courses or disability-related study support such as printing additional copies of documents for proof-reading.

How Do You Claim Universal Credit If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

To claim Universal Credit if you are a 20-year-old at college, you should either be:

be aged 21 or under
not have parental support
responsible for a child
live with a partner who is eligible for Universal Credit
are disabled, qualify for limited capability for work and claim a disability benefit

You should also not be receiving a maintenance grant or student loan and should be available for work for at least 16 hours a day.

If you meet the above-listed eligibility criteria, you can create a Universal Credit account and apply online. You must have an email address and a mobile phone with you to create an online Universal Credit account.

How Do You Claim JSA If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

While it is not common for full-time students such as a 20-year-old at college to be eligible for Jobseeker’s Allowance; however, you may be able to claim the benefit if your meet either of these conditions:

a lone parent
attending a DWP-related course or scheme

Any amount that you claim in the form of student support will be deducted from your JSA payments.

You apply for JSA online; otherwise, you can contact Jobcentre Plus at 0800 055 6688.

How Do You Claim ESA If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

You can claim contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance as a 20-year-old at college if you meet the following conditions:

unable to work due to illness or disability
worked and paid national insurance contributions
claiming disability benefits

Claims can be made online or by calling the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline at 0800 055 6688.

How Do You Claim DSA If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

If you are 20 years old at college intending to claim Disabled Student you should be able to qualify for student finance from Student Finance England and be studying on a course that lasts at least a year.

You should also be eligible for one of the following conditions and provide supporting evidence for your claim:

specific learning difficulty, for example, dyslexia or ADHD
mental health condition, for example, anxiety or depression
physical disability, for example, if you have to use crutches, a wheelchair or a special keyboard
sensory disability, for example, if you’re visually impaired, deaf or have a hearing impairment
long-term health condition, for example, cancer, chronic heart disease or HIV

You can either sign in to your student finance account if you already have one or fill in the form DSA 1 to file an application for DSA.

How Much Can You Claim From Benefits If You Are A 20-Year-Old At College?

The benefits payments that you can claim as a 20-year-old at college will depend on certain factors. In the case of Universal Credit, your payments depend on the following:

the standard allowance that you qualify for
additional elements to top up your claim (such as housing or childcare costs)
deductions from your payment for student loans

Based on these factors, your standard allowance for Universal Credit will be one of the following monthly payments:

Single claimants can get £265.31
Claimants living with a partner can get £416.45

Additional amounts that you can claim as a 20-year-old in college include the following:

If you have children, you can claim £244.58 for each child
If you have limited capability for work and work-related activity, you can claim £354.28

Payments that you can claim from other benefits are listed as follows:

If you are eligible for JSA as a 20-year-old college student, you can claim up to £61.05 each week (payments are made every 2 weeks)
Undergraduate and postgraduate students who qualify for Disabled Student’s Allowance can get up to £26,291 a year

Conclusion:

The above discussion helps to conclude that if you are a 20-year-old at college, you may be able to claim certain welfare benefits. However, there are specific eligibility criteria for each benefit to qualify for and each application needs to be made separately.