Hi Paddy
Thanks for pointing this out - I should have said "department" rather
than "funding body" in my email.
Ian
On 11/02/2013 14:21, Turner, Paddy wrote:
> Hi Ian,
> Without at the moment entering into discussion of the legal aspects of your posting - interesting though it is. I just wanted to make sure we are debating the right thing.
> SFE produced the communication, but I think you'll find that they only did this because they were instructed to by BIS. This doesn't alter the basic premise of your question regarding the legislation - that the legislation must be changed before making such a decision - but it does alter the emphasis of any possible way forward.
>
> Best wishes
> Paddy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ian F.
> Sent: 11 February 2013 13:55
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: DSA Reimbursement Policy versus Legislation?
>
> SFE have recently announced " with immediate effect, students should not be encouraged to buy equipment ahead of their study needs assessment and subsequent SLC approval, as they will not receive any reimbursement for it." And are also introducing the same restrictions to the General Allowance.
>
> However, the legislation is VERY specific about the equipment allowance as being "in respect of all the academic years during the period of eligibility for expenditure on major items of specialist equipment" and the General Allowance as being "in respect of an academic year for any other expenditure" (NOTE period of eligibility means the period the student is enrolled on the course).
>
> We've always interpreted this as meaning a student should be able to claim back costs that reasonably would have been met by DSA if they'd applied earlier or had their application processed earlier subject to the terms set out in the legislation, so I would have thought that it's only parliament who can introduce such a fundamental change to funding eligibility not a funding body?
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Ian Francis
>
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