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Advanced Learner Loan

Bubbly1

Hi I am currently received old style ESA, Housing Benefit and PIP but I would like to do a part time college course which involves 4 hours per week volunteering as well as 6 hours per week (one day) at college. Would this affect my benefits and can I have an Advanced Learner Loan?

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Comments

L_Volunteer

Hiya @Bubbly1. Unfortunately, I can only respond to part of your question. I am hoping someone else can respond to you regarding if it would affect your benefits.

In terms of whether you can have an advanced learner loan, you can have an advanced learner loan if:

You are 19 or older on the first day of your course
Your course is a level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification, for example A Levels or graduate certificate
At an approved college or training provider in England
Living in the UK on the first day of your course
A UK national or Irish citizen or have 'settled status' (no restrictions on how long you can stay)
Have been living in the UK, British overseas territories, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course (apart from temporary absences such as holidays)

Please see the Government website for more detail on your eligibility for an advanced learner loan.

Having previously received an advanced learner loan, and knowing it gets paid directly to the educational setting, it should not affect benefits (particularly PIP).

PIP is more about not contradicting the reasons you receive PIP. I am less certain if it affects housing benefit or ESA. Hopefully, someone else can respond to you about this.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else we can do to support you with this. Just out of curiosity, what are you planning to do for your course and volunteering?

poppy123456

Advanced learner loans to pay for fees will not affect any means tested benefits like ESA and housing benefit. The only loans that affect them are maintenance loans, if there's a loan available to you then it will affect means tested benefits, even if you decide not to take that loan.

L_Volunteer

Thanks for clarifying that for me Poppy

Bubbly1

That’s great, thank you so much as always Poppy and to you too L. Volunteer, so helpful. I would like to do a counselling course as I can’t do very much physically but want to keep motivated mentally and volunteer if I can somewhere via Zoom or telephone

L_Volunteer

Those sound like great plans @Bubbly1. Do you think you might be able to achieve those and do you have any thoughts, feelings or questions about those at the moment?

Bubbly1

I’m not sure but I hope to try

L_Volunteer

Trying is the best thing you could do @Bubbly1! Please feel free to let us know how it goes

sop432

Hello I wondered if you went ahead and did the counselling course? I am wondering about the advanced learner loan and weather or not it will cos me problems with a very old student loan….I'm nervous about the course too and unsure if I will be up to it but like you I want to try and contribute to help other people and stay part of society.x