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Our finance advisor had the following to say on this topic: Social security benefit rules are complex and a person's individual circumstances should always be taken into consideration before giving advice. Therefore, the following is for basic guidance only. Full-time students in Higher Education do not usually qualify for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), which replaced Income support in October 1996, but there are some exceptions. The Benefits Agency will decide whether a course is full or part-time based on all the information available, including any provided by the University. Although the University's definition is not absolute, in practice, it is difficult to challenge. Therefore, a student's course could be considered full-time by the Benefits Agency even s/he only attends for a few hours a week. Full-time students who can claim JSA include single parents, disabled students who satisfy certain qualifying conditions and student couples with have a child (only in summer vacation). This list is not exhaustive. There are different rules for part-time HE students and students in Further Education. Steve Metcalfe Division of Assistive Resources and Technology University of Lincolnshire & Humberside, UK Tel: +44 (0)1482 440550 ext. 4029 Fax: +44 (0)1482 441411 EMail [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%