Advice

ADVICE AND SUPPORT

The Disabled Student Support Team at Shu

Sheffield Hallam University has a specialist team who you may have already met. The team provides advice and guidance and co-ordinates services for disabled students.

The team can offer advice and support to deaf and hearing impaired students, visually impaired students, physically disabled students, dyslexic students, students with medical conditions (such as epilepsy, asthma or ME), and students with mental health problems. In fact, anyone with an illness, condition, or impairment which may affect them during their course. The team can assist you with:

the admissions process
Disabled Students Allowance (see below)
your Learning Contract, stating what the University must do to support you
accommodation needs
adaptations and equipment.

For more information contact :

SHU Disabled Student Support Team

Student Learning Services, 5th Floor, Owen Building

Tel: 0114 225 3813 or 3964. Fax: 0114 225 2161

Minicom: 0114 225 3964

Email: disability-support@shu.ac.uk

www.shu.ac.uk/services/sls/support/disability/

The Advice Centre

The Advice Centre provides a generalist advice and information service to all Hallam students.We are here to make sure you are aware of your rights and responsibilities. We can assist with any queries you may have regarding academic issues as well as benefits, money, housing, finance, grants, employment, and legal problems.

Contact the Advice Centre on:

Tel No:-0114 225 4148

Freephone No:- 0800 0732 002

Email: advicecentre@shu.ac.uk

Web: www.hallamunion.org/advice

The Student Union

The Education Officer and Welfare and Community Officer are part of the officer Committee. The Disabled Students Rep is part of the Union Representatives. They are all elected by students each year and are here to represent you.

If there are any general issues you think the University or the Students Union should be aware of, the Disabled Students Rep is the person to contact. For further information contact:

Hallam Union Executive Officers

Sheffield Hallam Students Union

The HUBS Paternoster Row Sheffield S1 2QQ

Tel: 0114 225 4124

FUNDING & MONEY

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

You may qualify for a Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) from Student Finance England. This allowance is for additional costs of study incurred due to disability and is not means tested. The Disabled Student Support Team can advise you on which expenses can be met, and they can also make your application for you. You may also be eligible for extra Student Finance England funding if you have dependants (see Students with Dependants leaflet).

Apart from the DSA there are no extra additions to your funding (Student Loans, Grants and Bursaries).

Access to Learning Fund

Students with extra costs due to disability may be eligible for financial assistance from the University’s Access to Learning Fund. You can download an application form fron your shuspace or pick one up from the Student Finance Centre, Level 2 of the Surrey Building. The Advice Centre can help if you require assistance with the application form.

DISABLED STUDENTS AND BENEFITS

If you are disabled you may fall into one of the few categories of students who are able to claim benefits. If you think that you may be entitled to any benefits contact the Advice Centre and we can do a full benefit check to ensure that you are getting everything you should be.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

If you are a full time student and satisfy one of the following conditions then you are eligible to claim and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

You qualify for the disability or severe disability premium.
You have been incapable of work for 28 weeks.
You qualify for a disabled student allowance because you are deaf.

ESA

You may qualify for Employment Support Allowance if you are a full time student and

You qualify for Disability Living Allowance or
You have paid sufficient National Insurance Contributions

Jobseekers Allowance

If you satisfy the following condition you are eligible to claim Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

You are waiting to go back on your course having taken approved time out because of an illness or a caring responsibility that has now come to an end.

NB: This list is not exhaustive and you may have other circumstances which mean you are able to claim benefits as a full time student. If you are in any doubt you should contact the Advice Centre

These benefits are means tested and any Adult Dependants’ Grant, Student Loan, or Maintenance Grant you receive will be taken into account as income. This means that you may receive a reduced amount, or even nothing, especially during term time. The Advice Centre can check entitlement.

NB: The government is introducing a new benefit known as Universal Credit in October 2013 which will replace some of the benefits above

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

This is a benefit for people who have difficulty looking after themselves or people who find it difficult to walk or get around. You don’t need to have someone helping you to qualify. DLA is not means tested so it is paid on top of any student funding, earnings, income or (most) benefits you may have. DLA is divided into two parts.

1. The Care Component is paid if you have difficulty coping with personal care needs. Both physical impairments and mental health issues can be taken into account. It is payable at three rates:

Higher: if you need attention and / or supervision during the day and night.
Middle: if you need attention and / or supervision during the day or night.
Lower: if you need “limited attention”, or if you cannot prepare a cooked meal for yourself if you have the ingredients.

2. The Mobility Component is paid to those who have difficulty getting around. It is payable at two rates:

Higher: if you are unable, or virtually unable, to walk
Lower: if you need guidance or supervision most of the time in order to get around.

NB: The government intends to introduce a new benefit Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to replace DLA. From April 2013 all new claimants will eligible for PIP, whilst it is expected those who currently receive DLA will be transferred to PIP between 2013 -2016.

Incapacity Benefit-

NB: this was abolished for new claimants from the 27th of October 2008

Incapacity Benefit is paid to people unable to work because of illness or disability. Incapacity Benefit is not means tested, so the amount you get does not depend on your income or savings. There is nothing to prevent students from claiming it. Incapacity Benefit has been replaced by ESA (see below).

Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

From October 2008, ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) on the grounds of incapacity or disability for new claimants. The Benefit Agency sometimes try and argue that if you are well enough to study then you are fit for work. We can help you appeal if this happens.

ESA is for people aged 16 to 65 who have limited capability for work.

There are two strands of ESA:-

1. Contributory ESA (Replaces Incapacity Benefit)

Students aged 19 and over can study full-time and can receive contributory ESA. There are no rules defining the type and hours of education a student do.
Students under 19 can not qualify for contributory ESA if they are on a course of FT education (under 21 hours).
However, to qualify you must meet the national contribution test or have limited capability for work which began before the age of 20.
Any income from student loans/grants is not taken into account

2. Income – Related ESA (Replaces Income Support)

Income-related ESA is means tested and is there to provide a safety net for those who do not satisfy the conditions for contributory ESA
Full time students who do not satisfy the conditions for contributory ESA must get Disability Living Allowance to be eligible to claim Income- Related ESA. Students who do not get DLA cannot claim.

Claim by calling the Benefits Enquiry Line:

Tel: 0800 88 22 00

Text phone: 0800 24 33 55 (for hearing and speech difficulties)

Email:- mailto:BEL-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

or by visiting Jobcentre Plus.

Working Tax Credit

Most people claim Working Tax Credit because they have children. However, even if you don’t have children you can still claim if:

you are disabled physically or mentally and this puts you at a disadvantage in getting a job; and
you received a qualifying benefit; and
you work at least 16 hours per week.

Contact the Tax Credit Helpline on:

Tel: 0845 300 3900

Text phone: 0845 300 3909

Open Mon-Fri. from 8am to 8pm – seven days a week except for Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Years Day

Affect of benefits on Funding

When Student Finance England assesses your income, any funds you receive from the following sources are ignored:

Income Support /Income-Related Employment Support Allowance
Housing Benefit
Child Benefit
Any benefit paid by reason of disability. (Although some are subject to tax - many authorities do not take them into account as income).
Any disability pension.
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit

NHS Charges

You may qualify for full exemption from NHS costs, or for help paying towards costs if you are on a low income. Fill out a HC1 form to get help on the basis of a low income.

You automatically qualify for full exemption (and do not need to fill in the form) if you:

receive (income based) Jobseekers Allowance or (income-related) Employment Support Allowance
receive Child and/or Working Tax Credit, including a disability element and your gross income is less than £15,276 per year
are aged 60 or over and receive Pension Credit guarantee credit
are the partner or the dependent child of someone who gets the benefits listed above
are aged under 16 years, or under 19 and in full time education.

For further information and for HC1 Forms contact :

NHS Business Services Authority

Tel: 0845 0850 1166

Web: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/healthcosts/1128.aspx

THE EQUALITY ACT

From 1 October 2010, the Equality Act replaced most of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). It brings together a total of 116 pieces of legislation, but the Disability Equality Duty in the DDA continues to apply. The Equality Act aims at ending the discrimination which many disabled people face. It gives disabled people rights in the areas of:

Employment
Access to goods and services
Buying or renting land or property

Disability discrimination and the law

It is unlawful to discriminate against disabled students by treating them less favourably than others, Universities and Colleges are required to provide reasonable adjustments to provision where disabled students or other disabled people might otherwise be substantially disadvantaged.

Accommodation

The University Housing and Accommodation Office have a limited number of places for students with special needs.For further information contact:

SHU Accommodation Services

38/40 Howard Street

Tel: 0114 225 5555

Fax: 0114 225 4501 Minicom: 0114 225 4513

Email: accommodation@shu.ac.uk

Web: www.shu.ac.uk/accommodation

Student Learning Services

The Student Learning Services department offers a range of services for disabled students with designated staff on each campus who can provide support in various ways.

Car Parking

The Disabled Student Support Team can help you find a parking space if you have a blue badge.

contact them on:

Student Learning Services, 5th Floor, Owen Building

Tel: 0114 225 3813 or 3964. Fax: 0114 225 2161

Minicom: 0114 225 3964

Email: disability-support@shu.ac.uk

www.shu.ac.uk/services/sls/support/disability/

Useful Organisations & Contacts

The “Disabled Students Handbook” has a full list of local and national groups.

Learning Centres

City Campus (Adsetts) Tel: 0114 225 3333