Home and family

Energy Costs

Energy is expensive - and at certain times of the year it can be challenging to manage your budget when you use more gas and electricity at home. The Money Saving Expert website is full of useful information on how to reduce your energy bills. They also provide information if you have fallen behind with your bills. Check out their 6 steps to reduce your energy costs.

If you are on benefits or have a low income you may be eligible for government schemes to help save energy and heat your home during the winter. For more information on the Warm Home Discount Scheme, energy-saving improvement schemes, and home energy support payments. 

Council Tax

Certain kinds of properties are exempt from Council Tax. These include student halls of residence and dwellings occupied only by students, which includes the house or flat of a student who lives alone.  

If you live with non-students, then your property may not be exempt from Council Tax. If you live with a non-student spouse or partner, and there are no other adults living in your home, you can receive a discount of 25% on the Council Tax bill when you become a student, irrespective of your spouse/partners income. Your spouse/partner may also be able to claim Council Tax Reduction/Support to further reduce the bill.  

Full-time students can receive a reduction or exemption from their Council Tax bill. You will need to obtain a letter from the University after enrolment. Make sure to do this at the beginning of the academic year, if you don’t you could end up paying more Council Tax than you need to. Simply print from your university e:Vision account.

Welfare benefits

Some students can claim benefits while they study, for example lone parents, students with disabilities and students who the Department of Work and Pensions have deemed incapable of work. You can use a benefit calculator to see what you could be entitled to.

Our Student Financial Guidance team can do an estimated Universal Credit calculation to check what you may be entitled to. We can also check whether your Universal Credit has been assessed correctly - so get in touch!

Citizens Advice have a Help to Claim service where advisers can help you with the early stages of your Universal Credit claim. This includes working out if you can get Universal Credit, application support, and preparing for your first Jobcentre appointment.

Loss of income

If you have experienced a loss of income, you may be eligible for an increase in student finance. You could apply for a ‘current year income assessment’ and use income information from the current tax year. Your household income must be expected to drop by at least 15% compared to the tax year included on the original application (so for the 2024/25 academic year you would usually provide details from the 2022/23 tax year).

If you have lost your job, had your hours reduced at work or if you are looking for a new job, check out the Employability and Enterprise Hub. You can find support with things like job search, career development advice, interview skills and help with your CV.

Childcare and pregnancy

There's lots of support available for parents and families. If you are a UK student and have family who are financially dependent on you, you may be eligible for additional support and could receive a childcare grant to meet up to 85% of your childcare costs from Student Finance England. You may also be eligible for Parents Learning Allowance, and if you are a Scottish student funded by SAAS you may be eligible for a Lone Parent's Grant. Some parents could be eligible for free school meals for their children. You can find out the criteria and how to apply on the government website.

Gingerbread provide fantastic support to single parents across a range of issues. Find out more on their website.

If you are pregnant, you could be eligible for a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. This is known as a Sure Start Maternity Grant. You can find out more information on the Sure Start webpages. If you are pregnant or have children and you are experiencing financial hardship, please get in touch with the Student Financial Guidance team and we'll work through options available to you.