UC work commitments as a student

NUSA · October 31

Hi all,

I’m hoping to get some advice regarding my Universal Credit commitments.

My husband recently migrated from ESA to UC, and we had to make a joint claim. He has Limited Capability for Work (LCW), so I understand that I’m expected to meet some work requirements. However, I’m a full-time student and started my course on 2 October 2025. My student finance has already been taken into account, and deductions of £1,620 per month are being applied.

Despite this, my work coach has placed me under full-time work search requirements — 35 hours per week and 5 full-time job applications — which doesn’t seem to match my circumstances. From what I’ve read, I should fall under the “no work-related requirements” group during the academic year once student deductions apply.

I’ve raised this several times in my UC journal, and I also submitted a Mandatory Reconsideration in September, but I haven’t received a reply. I’ve tried contacting Citizens Advice, but haven’t been able to reach anyone yet.

Any guidance or advice from others who have been through something similar would be greatly appreciated, as I feel quite stuck at the moment.

Thank you.

[Deleted User] · October 31

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Chris75_ · October 31

I am surprised you are allowed to claim UC and go to college full time. I thought only part time was permitted.

[Deleted User] · October 31

The user and all related content has been deleted.

NUSA · November 2

Thank you, Passerby. This is exactly what I am trying to establish. I am willing to take part in reasonable work preparation activities, but a full-time 35 hour per week job search and applying for full-time roles is not possible alongside a full-time degree. Even though I physically attend two days per week, I have approximately 200 hours of independent study time per module.

I intend to raise this further with someone at a higher level, though at the moment I am struggling to progress because I do not believe my journal messages are reaching the right person.

My only reason for posting here is to understand whether this is normal practice. I am trying to make sure I take the correct steps, but I also want to ensure that what is being asked of me is reasonable and in line with policy.

Regards,

Rachel_Scope · November 2

Hi @NUSA, I've found some information for you that should clear things up a bit:

Claimant commitment

To be able to get Universal Credit, everyone has to agree to a claimant commitment.

You will not have to do anything under your claimant commitment if:

You are claiming Universal Credit as a student, and you receive student income such as a grant or a loan for maintenance.

Even if you don’t fall into either of these two groups, you might not have to do anything under the normal rules on claimant commitments.

You will have to take some actions as part of your claimant if:

You are claiming Universal Credit as a student who has taken time out from your course. You will have to talk to your work coach to find out.

From this, it appears that you shouldn't have to do anything in terms of finding work. I would definitely try to speak to a more senior member of staff. It can be difficult getting through to people but I hope you're able to get it sorted soon.

[Deleted User] · November 2

The user and all related content has been deleted.

NUSA · November 3

Hi all.

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this clearly. This confirms what I felt, that the current requirement being placed on me does not reflect policy or common practice. I will follow your advice and raise this formally with the office dealing with my claim, and if needed ask for it to be escalated to a senior manager.

I appreciate your support and the clarity you provided.

Regards,

UC work commitments as a student

Comments

Claimant commitment

Categories