Hi Paddy
Thanks for clarifying. I've not heard before that this came directly from BIS how can we tell? If so then surly other funding bodies should be following the same route and making similar announcements. As with all the other changes SFE made recently
how do we know if this applies to all DSA, such as NHS, research councils OU etc. I thought Student finance Wales follow the same stature, yet they are (currently) happy with only 2 quotes. As we found out recently that the NHS don’t take the cost of assessment
out of the general allowance, but the NHS social work bursary do, it is important to know if what SFE says is meant to apply to other Funding bodies or not. I now have no idea.
As SFE write what was the BIS guidance document (old LA guidance) each year I’ve long been concerned that their changes will eventually be adopted by others (presumably not by SAAS or Isle of Man channel Islands or Southern Ireland as they have a different
legislation system). I wonder how far the guidance document (itself in a terrible inaccessible format with track changes till on!) differs from the original legislation.
On a slightly different note can anyone remember when DSA limits were last increased? I am thinking that it was the year 2005-2006 and hasn’t been increased since. I think that this was also the year the pilot for SLC/SFE started in Darlington.
There is lots that I think has a dodgy legal basis in this system.
Thanks
Ursula Bilson
Assessment Centre Manager
Loughborough Regional Assessment Centre
Counselling and Disability Service (CDS)
Herbert Manzoni Building
Loughborough University
Loughborough, Leicestershire
LE11 3TU
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Fax: 01509 223933
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-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Turner, Paddy
Sent: 11 February 2013 14:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: DSA Reimbursement Policy versus Legislation?
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-----
Sent: 11 February 2013 13:55
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
