Financial support for students with dependants

The Adult Dependants’ Grant is available for students who have an adult who is financially dependent on them.  The grant is worth up to £3,263 a year and you don’t usually have to pay it back; the grant is paid in 3 instalments.  The Adult Dependant’s Grant will affect the amount of any means-tested welfare benefits.

The Childcare Grant is a payment that covers up to 85% of your childcare costs. It’s based on your household income and childcare costs. You don’t usually have to pay it back and it won’t affect the amount of any welfare benefits.

If eligible, you can get up to:

• £183.75 a week for 1 child
• £315.03 a week for 2 or more children

 The funds are paid by the Childcare Grant Payment Service to the childcare provider.

The Parents’ Learning Allowance is a payment of up to £1,863 a year for students with dependent children.You don’t usually have to pay it back and it won’t affect your benefits or tax credits, the grant is paid in 3 instalments

You may be entitled to Universal Credit as a full-time student if at least one of the following applies to you:

• you're a lone parent (including foster parents)
• you're living as a couple with another student and you have at least 1 dependent child
• you're getting Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance and you have been assessed as having “limited capability for work” before they start their degree course.
• you're making a joint claim with a non-student partner who is eligible for UC in their own right

It’s possible that during term-time your income will be too high to receive UC, your entitlement should be reassessed during the summer vacation when your student income is nil.

Full time study does not affect any entitlement to child Benefit. If you're eligible you'll get £21.80 a week for your first child and £14.45 a week for any children after that.You can claim Child Benefit if:

• you're 'responsible for the child'
• the child is under 16 years old - or 16 to 20 years old and still in education or training

If you are struggling you can apply to the University Hardship Fund (UHF).

If you’d like to talk to one of the team about the UHF or any other money queries you can email us:  money@liverpool.ac.uk or book an quick initial appointment slot on the Student Services Hub:  https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/book-an-appointment/