Current year income assessment.
Your maintenance loan entitlement is calculated against your taxable household income in the last completed tax year. For example, for the 2026/27 academic year, Student Finance used household income figures for the 2024/25 tax year (April 2024-April 2025).
So, if your household income in the current tax year - April 2026 – April 2027- will be lower than the tax year you were assessed under you could be entitled to more. Examples of this include when a parent retires, or a partner is unfortunately made redundant.
How it works.
The processes differ slightly depending on your Funding Body. Typically speaking, the current year income or, ‘new’, figure, must be below a certain threshold and a given percentage less than the year you were assessed under. If you are already in receipt of the maximum possible maintenance loan entitlement then you have already been means-assessed at the highest rate, but you can still apply if you need reassessing for the purposes of a bursary or supplementary grant (e.g. SFE childcare grant).
Links to the relevant pages feature below:
Student Finance Northern Ireland: students are advised to contact their local office:
Example:
Connie starts University in September 2026 and is funded by Student Finance England. During term time she lives with her mother, who is single, and until recently had been a lecturer in Electronics earning £60,000.
In May 2026, Connie’s mother retired. Her mother now receives £45,000 a year from various pensions. This means that her current year income will be roughly £47,500 (she received two monthly payments of her old salary in April and May, but from June will receive a new monthly figure from the pensions).
Based on Student Finance England’s figures, Connie and her mother should apply for a Current Year Income Assessment. The current year income - £47,500 – is lower than the threshold Student Finance have advised they will re-assess under (£58,387) and £47,500 is roughly 20% less than £60,000.
Students with concerns can still apply for the University Hardship Fund, but should note that they will need to complete a current year income assessment with their funder to be fully assessed.
Speak to a Money Advice and Guidance advisor
If you are unable to find an answer to your query on our web pages email money@liverpool.ac.uk or book an online confidential one-one appointment.