Income Support, Employment Support Allowance / Incapacity Benefit, Local Housing Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

Your claim for any of these benefits should not be affected simply because you are doing a part-time course. However, see also Training if you are on incapacity-related benefits

Jobseekers Allowance

•  For Jobseekers Allowance, although you are only on a part-time course, you still need to show that you are available for work and actively seeking work.

•  When claiming Jobseekers Allowance, you might be asked to complete a ‘student questionnaire'. The jobcentre will take your answers into account when deciding whether you are available for work and actively seeking work.

•  Your availability for work should not be affected if your hours of study or training fall outside the times you have stated you can work. For example, if you have stated you are available for work during the daytime and your course is in the evening.

•  If the hours of your course do clash with the times you have said you are available for work, then the jobcentre must either be satisfied that you would be able to rearrange the hours of the course around your job, or that you would give up the course if a job comes up.