Petition · past parliament

Stop using Student Finance as income when calculating Universal Credit benefit.

Closed 947 signatures

What the petition asks

Student finance is being used as an income when calculating Universal credit entitlement. Student finance is a loan which has to be repaid not an income. This is driving many students into poverty and forcing them to give up leaving them more likely to be reliant on benefits in the future.
Higher education and getting a degree is extremely expensive. Student finance loans helps with this making it accesible to the every day person, to improve their prospects in the long term. The DWP however are taking this loan as an income when working out benefit awards, and reducing entitlement. Pushing them and their children into poverty, causing undue stress and harm and affecting their achievements, simply because they are trying to better themselves, how is the penalisation fair ?

Timeline

12 Feb 2019 Petition opened for signatures
12 Aug 2019 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 947
Status Closed
Opened 12 Feb 2019
Closed 12 Aug 2019

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.