Are you currently claiming a benefit and want to ensure that everything is in order? Or perhaps you're not receiving any benefits and want to check if you can? Our new service aims to check your eligibility and make sure you're getting the support you are entitled to.
Why Check Your Claim?
It's not uncommon for individuals to overlook potential benefits they may be entitled to, or for existing claims to have errors. Here's how we can help:
- Benefit Review If you're currently receiving benefits, we can review your claim to ensure that everything is in order.
- Eligibility Assessment For those who are not currently claiming any benefits, we can assess your eligibility. One option we can explore is whether you would be better off making the switch to Universal Credit if you’ve been claiming something else.
Who Can Claim?
You may be eligible for benefits if you are a UK Home Student and you are:
- Responsible for a child;
- Studying part-time;
- Living with a partner who is not a student and is eligible for Universal Credit.
Have you received support from us?
We want to hear from you about your experience with university support during the Cost of Living crisis. The Students' Union is eager to know how things have been for you, and your feedback will be passed on to the University to make sure they understand what support you need. Share your thoughts and experiences with us by completing our Cost of Living Feedback questionnaire. Let us know how the support provided has been for you and how the Cost of Living crisis has affected your university life. We still want to hear your experiences event if you didn’t receive support via a bursary.
If you think you may be entitled to a benefit and would like to an adviser to do an eligibility check, you can complete a referral form using the following link: Advice Centre Referral
Make clear on the form it’s about a benefit claim so we can get you to the right person.
Employment Advice
Many students have jobs within hospitality and retail sectors where you can experience long hours and low pay. But we want to make sure that you understand your rights, so you are being treated fairly and not being exploited.
By raising awareness of employment, should you think you aren’t being treated fairly, we hope this information can empower you to advocate for yourself.
There's lots of support available through the university Careers team. You can find information about the service and book an appointment on the Careers page.
If you're an international student and you have questions about your rights to work, including hours you are allowed to work, you can find plenty of information on the Support for International Students page.
Citizens Advice: Talk to an adviser for help with your employment problem or employment tribunal claim on the Citizens Advice website. There is also lots of information on their website, such as what you should expect as minimum wage and your rights as worker.
ACAS provides free and impartial information and advice on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. You can find advice on the ACAS website.