Further education courses and funding

Overview

Further education (FE) includes any study after secondary education that’s not part of higher education (that is, not taken as part of an undergraduate or graduate degree).

Courses range from basic English and maths to Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).

FE also includes 3 types of technical and applied qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds:

level 3 tech levels to specialise in a specific technical job

level 2 technical certificates help get employment or progress to another tech level

applied general qualifications to continue general education at advanced level through applied learning

Funding

Many courses in reading, writing and basic maths are free, and you may not have to pay for tuition if you’re under 24 and studying for your first qualification equivalent to GCSE or A level.

Find out about financial support, for example for your course or day-to-day living costs.

Find a course

Use the National Careers Service course search to find further education (FE) (FE) courses by course name, provider or subject.

You can also take courses through the internet or email (known as ‘distance learning’).

Comparing FE colleges

You can compare survey data from employers and learners about FE colleges.

Advice

You can get free advice from the National Careers Service (National Careers Service) if you need help choosing a course.

If you're 16 or 17

If you’re aged 16 or 17 you can study a further education (FE) course:

full-time at school or college

while at work

If you’re coming towards the end of a school or college course, you’re guaranteed a place on an FE course the following autumn if you’re under 18 years old.

Contact your school or local council to find out what’s on offer.

Advice

Get advice to help you decide on the right course from a National Careers Service adviser.

Financial help

You may be able to get help with the costs of:

your course

day-to-day living costs

childcare

Depending on your circumstances and the subject you’re studying, you may qualify for:

Learner Support

Residential Support Scheme

Care to Learn

Dance and Drama Awards

16 to 19 Bursary Fund

a loan to help with the costs of a college or training course if you’re 19 or older - called an Advanced Learning Loan

Funding for essential skills

In most cases you will not have to pay for level 1 and 2 English and maths courses. You might be able to take other courses for free.

Funding if you’re on benefits

You can get free training if you’re unemployed and:

claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance

in an Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity group

required to do training as part of your Universal Credit claim

Your Jobcentre work coach will tell you what training you can do.

If you’re claiming other benefits or cannot get free training through your job centre, you may be able to get funding from colleges and training providers.

Funding from a charitable trust

Use the Family Action grant search to check if you can get help from a charitable trust.

Advice

Find out more about courses and what financial help you can get through the National Careers Service.


Appeal against an exam result

Overview

You can challenge the results of an exam or qualification if you think it’s wrong.

GCSEs, AS levels or A levels

You can ask your school or college to get an exam result looked at again - this is called requesting a review.

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, your school or college can make an appeal to Ofqual.

Other qualifications

Ask your school or college to appeal to the awarding organisation about the results for any other qualification, for example a BTEC or an NVQ.

You can appeal directly to the awarding organisation if you’re a private student, for example, if you are home schooled or are a mature student.

The awarding organisation will send you a final report after they (the awarding organisation)’ve reviewed the result.

If you’re not happy with the outcome of the appeal (appeal), you can contact Ofqual to make a complaint.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Find out more about the appeals process in:

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

Request a review

You can challenge the result of a GCSE, AS level or A level exam.

You can also challenge the result of another qualification.

Who can request a GCSE, AS level or A level review

You can ask your school or college to get an exam result looked at again (known as ‘requesting a review’). You cannot request a review yourself unless you’re a private candidate, for example you were home schooled.

What happens next

The mark will be changed if the reviewer thinks it (an exam result)’s wrong. The new mark may be higher or lower than the original.

You can ask your school or college’s exams officer for more information about their internal appeals procedure and their policy on reviews of marking and moderation.

You can appeal against a review if you’re unhappy with the decision.

You or your school (your school or college’s) may have to pay if the mark is not changed.

Deadlines

The deadlines for requesting a review are:

A levels - 4 February 2021

GCSE English language and maths - 18 February 2021

all other GCSEs - 18 March 2021

Check with your exam board to find out the deadline for other qualifications.

Appeal against a review

If you asked for an exam result to be reviewed and you’re not happy with the decision, you can appeal to Ofqual.

Ask the exams officer, headteacher or principal at your school or college to make an appeal. You cannot make an appeal yourself unless you’re a private candidate, for example you were home schooled.

You need to appeal within 21 days of getting the result of a review.

Read more about making appeals to Ofqual.

What happens next

Ofqual will tell you if your review is going ahead and will keep you updated.

If your review is rejected, Ofqual will tell you why.

If you cannot apply online

Contact Ofqual if you cannot apply online or have any questions about the appeal process.


Master's Loan

Overview

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if:

you normally live in Scotland

you normally live in Wales

you normally live in Northern Ireland.

Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

When you can apply

You’ll be able to apply for funding for the 2021 to 2022 academic year from summer 2021. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

What you'll get

You can get up to:

£11,570 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2021

£11,222 if your course started between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2021

£10,906 if your course started between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020

The amount you’ll get is not based on your income or your family’s.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan (your loan) when working out any benefits you receive.

The loan (your loan) is paid directly to you. You can use it (your loan) for your course fees and living costs.

If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan (your loan) will be divided equally across each year of your course.

When you’re paid

You get the first payment after your course start date, once your university or college confirms that you’ve registered.

The loan (your loan) will be paid in 3 instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates. You can also check them in your online account.

If you change university or college

Your new university or college has to confirm the change (change) with Student Finance England before you receive any more payments.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on:

your course

your age

your nationality or residency status

You will not be able to get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if:

you’re already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying

you’ve received a loan or grant for a master’s course before - unless you got a Disabled Students’ Allowance or you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement

you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher

you’re behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company

You’ll still be eligible if you have a PGCE or a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

You will not get extra money if you repeat a year of your course.

Your course

It (your course) must:

be a full, standalone master’s course (not a top-up course)

be worth at least 180 credits - check the course provider’s website if you’re not sure

have started on or after 1 August 2016

Your course must be provided by an eligible university or college in the UK (including the Open University). Check with the university or college that your course is registered.

Your course can be taught or research-based.

It (your course) can be:

full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years

part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course

part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists

Examples of postgraduate master’s qualifications include:

MSc (master of science)

MA (master of arts)

MPhil (master of philosophy)

MRes (master of research)

LLM (master of law)

MLitt (master of letters)

MFA (master of fine art)

MEd (master of education)

MBA (master of business administration)

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Distance learning

To qualify for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for distance learning, you’ll need to be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You’ll also need to live in:

England for the whole of your course, if you’re an EU national

the UK for the whole of your course, if you’re not an EU national

This usually does not apply if you’re:

serving in the armed forces

a spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the armed forces

a dependent parent living with a serving member of the armed forces

Integrated courses

You will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if your course is:

integrated with an undergraduate degree - apply for undergraduate funding instead

integrated with a doctoral degree - apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan instead

Intercalated year

You might be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re taking a year out of an undergraduate course to study for a master’s.

This (taking) will generally mean you’re not entitled to undergraduate funding anymore because you’ll hold a higher level qualification.

You are still eligible for undergraduate funding if your course leads to a qualification in:

architecture

dentistry

medicine

social work

undergraduate Initial Teacher Training

veterinary science

Master of architecture

If you plan to study for a master of architecture (MArch Part 2) qualification full-time, apply for undergraduate funding support. Your course must be accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to be eligible.

You can only apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan to support your MArch course (your course) if one of the following applies:

you’re taking a part-time course

you’re not eligible for undergraduate funding support

the course (a part-time course) does not lead to an accredited qualification as an architect

Healthcare and social work

You cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you:

are eligible for an NHS bursary

get a Social Work Bursary - unless you only get a Placement Travel Allowance

This also applies for health and social work bursaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You also cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan if you’re starting a postgraduate pre-registration healthcare course on or after 1 August 2018. You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan instead.

Your age

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year (the first academic year of your course) is a period of 12 months starting on:

1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December

1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March

1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June

1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

Your nationality or residency status

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if all of the following are true:

you’re a UK or Irish national or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay

you normally live in England

you’ve been living in the UK (England), the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday

You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:

returned to the UK (England) on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK (England), the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years

If you’re an EU national or a family member of an EU national

You may be eligible if you’re an EU national, or a family member of an EU national, and all the following apply:

you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve normally lived in the UK (England), Gibraltar, EU (the EU), Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years (this (settled status) is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)

you’ll be studying at a university or college in England

You could also be eligible if you’re:

the child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

a migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, or a family member of a migrant worker where both have pre-settled status

a resident of Gibraltar who is a UK or EU national, or their family member

Student finance for EU (the EU), Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein nationals from August 2021

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

You need to have started living in the UK (England) before 31 December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re coming to the UK (England) from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa to study in the UK (England).

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme. They can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they wish to, for example, to apply on behalf of a child.

If you have a different residency status

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK (England) - you and your Turkish worker parent must have been living in the UK (England) by 31 December 2020

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

a child who is under the protection of someone granted ‘Section 67 leave’, who is also allowed to stay in the UK (England) for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as ‘leave in line’)

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

a child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK (England) for the same period of time as their parent (known as ‘leave in line’)

you’ve been given settled status but not under the EU Settlement Scheme

you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland and you have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you’re a non-UK national and have lived in the UK (England) for a certain number of years

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK (England) for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK (England) for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

You must have been living in the UK (England), the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course.

How to apply

You can apply now for courses that start or started in the following academic years:

2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020

2018 to 2019

You can apply in summer 2021 for courses that start in the academic year 2021 to 2022. Applications are not yet open - this guide will be updated as soon as they are.

Check whether you’re eligible before you apply.

You only need to apply once for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan, even if your course is longer than one year. Student Finance England will write to you in the summer to tell you how much you’ll get in the next academic year.

You’ll not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England if you’re studying a master’s course.

Apply online

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before, use your account to apply.

If you do not already have one, set up an account.

Apply by post

If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

Courses that start in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Courses that started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year

Courses that started before 1 August 2019

Contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team if you cannot apply online.

When to apply by

The deadline for applying depends on when you start your course.

If you started on or after 1 August 2017

You need to apply within 9 months of the first day of the last academic year of the course.

The academic year

The academic year is a period of 12 months.

The first day of your academic year depends when your course starts.

Course start date between | First day of academic year

1 August (1 August 2019) and 31 December | 1 September

1 January and 31 March | 1 January

1 April and 30 June | 1 April

1 July and 31 July | 1 July

Proof of identity

Include valid UK passport details in your application. Use the ‘UK passport details’ form if you need to send the details after your application. Do not send the passport itself.

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team).

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team).

If you’re an EU national, send your passport or national identity card.

Supporting information

You should use the evidence return form for extra information to support your application, for example evidence of your residency status.

You may also be asked to complete the UK employment status form.

Change an application

Use your online account to change your personal details, for example bank or contact details. Contact Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team) directly if you do not have an account.

Change the amount you’ve asked for

Use the loan request form to change the amount you’ve applied for - you cannot do this (Change) online.

If your course starts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year:

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year:

If your course started before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, contact Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team.

Other changes

Use the change of circumstances form if you need to change any other details, for example your university or course. You cannot do this online.

If your course started in the 2019 to 2020 academic year (the 2018 to 2019 academic year):

Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Tell Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team and your institution straight away if you need to withdraw from your course. It may affect your future payments and eligibility for funding.

Extra help

You may qualify for other funding, for example grants from charities or trusts.

Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team) also has more information about other kinds of student finance.

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team) if you’re studying a master’s course.

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (for example dyslexia) you can apply for:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Further information

You can learn more about the Postgraduate Master’s Loan on the Student Room website.

Contact Student Finance England (Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan Team) if you have further questions.

Student Finance England Postgraduate Loan team


Student finance

Overview

You may be able to borrow money to help pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs.

You might get extra money on top of this (borrow), for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children.

If you’re a continuing student or you’ve already created an account, log in to your account.

Before you apply

You start repaying once you earn over a certain amount. The size of your monthly repayments will depend on how much you earn, not what you owe.

You’ll be charged interest on the loan from the day you take it out. The terms and conditions can change.

The rules are different if your course started before September 2012.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

How to apply

Find out how to apply for student finance.

If you’re under 25 and have no contact with your parents, you might be able to apply as an ‘estranged student’.

There’s a different process if you’re a student from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Contact the education authority if you live in the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) or Isle of Man.

You can give someone permission to act on your behalf (for example using Power of Attorney) if you want them to apply for you.

New full-time students

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan if your course starts on or after 1 August 2016.

Tuition Fee Loan

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan (a Tuition Fee Loan) is paid directly to them. You have to pay it (a Tuition Fee Loan) back.

| 2020 to 2021 academic year | 2021 to 2022 academic year

Full-time student | Up to £9,250 | Up to £9,250

If you’re studying an accelerated degree course, you could get up to £11,100.

Maintenance Loan for living costs

You may have to give details of your household income.

The loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) is paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. You have to pay the loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) back.

Living at home | Up to 7,747 | Up to £7,987

Living away from home, outside London | Up to £9,203 | Up to £9,488

Living away from home, in London | Up to £12,010 | Up to £12,382

You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad | Up to £10,539 | Up to £10,866

You must report any changes to your living arrangements in your online account, so you get the correct amount of student finance. You might need evidence of any changes.

If you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course (a UK course) you can apply for up to £4,014.

Use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan.

Applying during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Read the guidance for students during coronavirus for more information about:

changes in your household income

self-isolation stopping you from posting evidence

contacting the Student Loans Company

Coronavirus and maintenance loans

You do not need to tell SLC if your course has moved online, as long as your living arrangements stay the same. If they have changed, you must update your address in your online account.

Extra help with travel costs

You might get a grant to cover some travel expenses if you normally live in England but study away from home. If you’re a medical or dental student you might also qualify for help with the costs of attending clinical placements in the UK.

Further information

2020 to 2021 academic year

2021 to 2022 academic year

Continuing full-time students

What you’re eligible for depends on when your course starts.

You may also be able to get extra help.

If your course starts on or after 1 August 2016

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan if your course starts on or after 1 August 2016.

Tuition Fee Loan

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan is paid directly to them. You have to pay it back.

| 2020 to 2021 academic year | 2021 to 2022 academic year

Full-time student | Up to £9,250 | Up to £9,250

Maintenance Loan for living costs

You may have to give details of your household income.

The loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) is paid directly into your bank account at the start of term. You have to pay the loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) back.

Living at home | Up to 7,747 | Up to £7,987

Living away from home, outside London | Up to £9,203 | Up to £9,488

Living away from home, in London | Up to £12,010 | Up to £12,382

You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad | Up to £10,539 | Up to £10,866

You must report any changes to your living arrangements, including if you’re no longer studying abroad in your online account, so you get the correct amount of student finance.

In your final year, you’ll receive less money than you did in previous years.

If your course (a UK course) started before 1 August 2016

You can apply for grants and loans if your course (a UK course) started before 1 August 2016.

Tuition Fee Loan

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan (Tuition Fee Loan) is paid directly to them. You have to pay it (Tuition Fee Loan) back.

Maintenance Loan for living costs

Students aged 60 and over cannot apply. You may have to give details of your household income.

Living at home | Up to £5,247 | Up to £5,410

Living away from home, outside London | Up to £6,597 | Up to £6,802

Living away from home, in London | Up to £9,205 | Up to £9,490

You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad | Up to £7,838 | Up to £8,081

Maintenance Grant for living costs

You have to give details of your household income and your course start date.

The grant (Maintenance Grant for living costs) is paid into your bank account at the start of each term. You do not have to pay it (Maintenance Grant for living costs) back, but any funds you get will reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.

Special Support Grant

You may get a Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant if you get or qualify for:

Income Support

income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Housing Benefit

the housing element of Universal Credit

The amount you get is the same as the Maintenance Grant, but it (Maintenance Grant for living costs) will not reduce the Maintenance Loan you can get.

You may get the Special Support Grant (Maintenance Grant for living costs) if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.

You’ll be told if you can get the grant (Maintenance Grant for living costs) when you apply for student finance.

Apply

Apply for student finance or find out how to apply.

Help with the costs of studying abroad

Help during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Read the guidance for students during coronavirus for more information, including if:

your university or college is shut

your household income changes

you’ll need to repeat or extend your studies

Further information

2020 to 2021 academic year

2021 to 2022 academic year

Part-time students

You may be able to get a loan if your part-time course has a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more.

‘Course intensity’ (a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more) measures how much of your course you complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course.

You can work this out by comparing your module credits with the number of module credits a full-time student will study. You’ll be asked how many credits you’ll study when you apply for the loan.

Check with your university or college if you’re not sure.

What you can apply for depends on when your course (your part-time course) starts.

If your course (your part-time course) starts on or after 1 August 2018

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan.

Tuition Fee Loan

You can get up to £6,935 in an academic year.

Maintenance Loan for living costs

How much you can get depends on:

where you live while studying

your household income

your course intensity

The loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) is paid directly into your bank account 2 weeks after the start of each term. You have to pay the loan (Maintenance Loan for living costs) back.

You can only apply for a Maintenance Loan as a Distance Learning student if you cannot attend your course in person because of a disability.

Use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan.

You’re not eligible for a Maintenance Loan if you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

If your course (your part-time course) started before 1 August 2018

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.

Apply

Apply for student finance or find out how to apply.

Further information

2020 to 2021 academic year

EU students

You may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan and help with living costs if you’re from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

Use the student finance calculator to see what finance you can get.

Tuition Fee Loan

Your university or college sets your tuition fee, and the loan (a Tuition Fee Loan) is paid directly to them (Your university or college). You have to pay it (a Tuition Fee Loan) back.

| 2020 to 2021 academic year | 2021 to 2022 academic year

Full-time student | Up to £9,250 | Up to £9,250

Full-time student at a private university or college | Up to £6,165 | Up to £6,165

Part-time student | Up to £6,935 | Up to £6,935

Part-time student at a private university or college | Up to £4,625 | Up to £4,625

Use the student finance calculator to estimate your Tuition Fee Loan.

Help with living costs

You may be eligible for help with your living costs if both the following apply:

you’ve lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course

you have settled status

Academic years start on 1 September, 1 January, 1 April or 1 July. Ask someone who runs your course if you do not know which one applies.

Student Finance from August 2021

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021 (August 2021), you must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance.

If you’re coming to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa to study here.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Apply

Further information

2020 to 2021 academic year

2021 to 2022 academic year

Extra help

Check on the student finance calculator to see what extra help you might be able to get.

Students on a low income

You can apply for:

Universal Credit

extra help if you’re experiencing financial hardship

Students with children or dependent adults

You can apply for:

Childcare Grant - full-time students only

Parents’ Learning Allowance - full-time students only

Adult Dependants’ Grant - full-time students only

Universal Credit

Disabled students

If you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) you can apply for:

Disabled Students’ Allowance

You may also qualify for disability related benefits.

Medical, social work and teacher training students

You can apply for:

NHS bursaries if you’re studying certain medical, dentistry or healthcare courses

help with costs of travel to UK (the UK) clinical placements if you’re studying a medical, dentistry or healthcare course

social work bursaries if you’re a social work student

extra help if you’re a teacher training student

Students studying abroad

Help from your university or college

Many universities and colleges offer extra money directly to students.

Funding from charitable trusts

Use the Turn2us grant search to check whether you qualify for funding from a charitable trust.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify for student finance depends on:

your university or college

your course

if you’ve studied a higher education course before

your age

your nationality or residency status

Your university or college

This (your university or college) should be a university, college or other institution that offers a qualifying course.

Your course

Check with the university or college (your university or college) that your course is recognised.

If you’re studying full-time

You may be eligible for student finance if your course is in the UK and one of the following:

a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd

a Foundation Degree

a Certificate of Higher Education

a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

a Higher National Certificate (HNC)

a Higher National Diploma (HND)

an Initial Teacher Training course

an integrated master’s degree

a pre-registration postgraduate healthcare course

Check on the student finance calculator to find out which loans and grants you could be eligible for.

If you’re studying part-time

Your course needs a ‘course intensity’ of 25% or more for you to be eligible for student finance.

You’ll be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan if your course is in the UK and one of the following:

a Foundation Degree

a Certificate of Higher Education

a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

a Higher National Certificate (HNC)

a Higher National Diploma (HND)

an Initial Teacher Training course

an integrated master’s degree

You’ll be eligible for a Maintenance Loan if your course is in the UK and one of the following:

an Initial Teacher Training course (if it’s degree level or above)

an integrated master’s degree

a Foundation Degree in dental hygiene and dental therapy

a DipHE in dental hygiene and dental therapy or operating department practice

If you’ve studied before

You’ll usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification - even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances and for some courses.

If you changed course, stopped your studies or are repeating a year

If you stopped your course within the first year, you’ll get funding for the same course or a new course when you go back.

You might also get funding if you:

suspended your course or withdrew before it finished - and you’re going back to study any course

are repeating a year of your course at the same university, college, or institution.

If you stopped your studies for a personal reason (for example, you were ill or pregnant) you might get funding for all of your course - you should apply online with supporting evidence.

You can calculate the amount you will get by taking the total number of years of the course you are applying for and adding one year. Then take away the number of years you studied for. If you studied for part of a year you should count it as a whole year.

If you already have a degree

You may be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances.

You may get limited funding if you’re ‘topping up’ a higher education qualification, for example you’ve finished an HNC, HND or Foundation Degree and now want to do an Honours degree.

You may also get limited funding if you hold an Honours degree or a higher level of qualification and start a new course. This could be a part-time Honours degree, a joint Honours degree or an Integrated Master’s degree in one of the following (or 2 if it’s a joint Honours degree):

agriculture and related subjects

architecture (if it (a new course)’s a MArch RIBA Part 2 course)

biological sciences

computer science

mathematical sciences

medicine and allied subjects

physical sciences

technologies

courses leading to qualification as a veterinary surgeon

You could also be eligible if you’re starting a healthcare course on or after 1 August 2017.

Your age

There’s no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans or grants.

If you’re 60 or over

You may get limited funding for Maintenance Loans if all of the following apply:

you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your
course

you’re studying full-time

your course (your
course) started on or after 1 August 2016

The amount you can apply for depends on your household income.

Your nationality or residency status

You may be able to get help with:

your tuition fees and living costs (full support)

your tuition fees

The type of help you can get depends on your nationality and residency status.

When you’re eligible for full support

You can apply for full support if all the following (the following) apply:

you’re a UK or Irish citizen or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay)

you normally live in England

you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday

You may be eligible for full support if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who:

returned to the UK by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years

You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:

refugee (including family members)

humanitarian protection (including family members)

migrant worker from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (including family members) with settled or pre-settled status

child of a Swiss national and you and your parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

child of a Turkish worker who has permission to stay in the UK - you and your Turkish worker parent (your parent) must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020

a stateless person (including family members)

an unaccompanied child granted ‘Section 67 leave’ under the Dubs Amendment

a child who is under the protection of someone granted ‘Section 67 leave’, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as the person responsible for them (known as ‘leave in line’)

granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain

a child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, who is also allowed to stay in the UK for the same period of time as their parent (known as ‘leave in line’)

you’ve been given settled status (‘indefinite leave to remain’) because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence

you’ve been granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner

You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and are either:

under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years

18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)

You must have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course.

When you can apply for help with your tuition fees

You can apply for tuition fee funding if you’ve been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland for the past 3 years and you have one of the following:

pre-settled status under the EU (the EU) Settlement Scheme and you’re an EU (the EU) national or the family member of an EU (the EU) national

pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and you’re the family member of an Irish citizen or person of Northern Ireland

Irish citizenship

Gibraltarian status as an EU (the EU) national

been living in Gibraltar as a UK national

If you’re an Irish citizen, you’re still eligible to apply if you’ve lived in the UK and Ireland in the 3 years before your course.

Use the student finance calculator to see what finance you can get.

Apply

Apply for student finance or find out how to apply.

Apply

Find out how to apply for student finance.

Parents or partners of students

Confirm your income if you’re the student’s (students) parent or partner.


Support your child or partner's student finance application

Give details of your household income

You might need to provide information about your income if your child or partner has applied for student finance in England.

Your information (details of your household income) will be used to work out if your child or partner can get extra money on top of the Tuition Fee Loan and the basic Maintenance Loan.

There’s a different process if your child or partner is applying in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You’ll get an email with a link to create an online account or login. You must use your own account - you cannot use the same account as your child or partner.

Provide information about your income in the previous tax year.

If your income this tax year (the previous tax year) will be at least 15% less you can give your income details for the current tax year instead.

Send in evidence if you’re asked for it.

What information you’ll need

You’ll need to know the following about a previous tax year:

your household’s taxable income

details of your personal taxable income

The previous tax year will be:

2019 to 2020 if your child or partner is applying for the 2021 to 2022 academic year

2018 to 2019 if your child or partner is applying for the 2020 to 2021 academic year

2017 to 2018 if your child or partner is applying for the 2019 to 2020 academic year (the 2021 to 2022 academic year)

If you’re supporting your child’s application

Your household income is the combined income of:

you

your partner, if you live with them (your child or partner) (even if you were not living with them (your child or partner) during the previous tax year)

income your child gets from their (your child or partner) own savings, investments or property, for example dividends or rent

If you’re supporting your partner’s application

Your household income is the combined income of you and your partner (even if you were not living with them during the previous tax year).

How to provide information about your income

Once your child or partner has applied, you’ll get an email within 24 hours with a link so you can provide your information.

You might need to create an account. You must use your own account - you cannot use the same account as your child or partner.

Household income your current income is lower

You can give your details for the current tax year if you think your household income (your current income) will be at least 15% lower than the tax year you’ve been asked to provide details for.

What happens next

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will check that the information you’ve provided matches their records. This will usually take up to 2 weeks.

You might be asked to send evidence of your:

income - if the details you’ve given do not match HMRC’s records

marital status - if you’re separated or divorced

It can take up to 6 weeks to review your evidence.

Student Finance England will write to your child or partner when all your information has been confirmed.

If your information is still being processed when your child or partner starts their course, they’ll still get the Tuition Fee Loan and the basic Maintenance Loan (if they’re eligible).

Supporting a continuing student

Your child or partner needs to apply for student finance each year.

When they (Your child or partner) apply, you’ll get an email within 24 hours. The email will have a link to sign in to your account, where you must provide:

your marital status

any changes to the information you provided the previous year

your financial information for the previous tax year

If you provided income details for the current tax year

You can use the same income details that you provided last year.

If your income has dropped by at least 15% again, you can send in a new current tax year (the current tax year) income assessment form.

If your income has gone down

You can apply for a current year (the current tax year) income assessment if you think your household income this tax year (the current tax year) will be at least 15% lower than the year you’ve been asked to give details about (last year).

The current tax year is 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022.

Check you’re eligible for a current year income assessment

To apply, the student must be on a course where their student finance is based on your household income.

Your total estimated household income for the full current tax year (the current tax year) must be at least 15% lower than for a previous tax year.

The previous tax year will be:

You’ll qualify for an assessment if your expected household income after the 15% decrease is between £25,000 and £58,220 a year.

If your household income is more than £58,220 a year but less than £70,004 a year, you may still qualify depending on the student’s circumstances. Check how you’re assessed and paid.

If your total household income is likely to be less than £25,000 a year, you will not be able to get an assessment unless the student needs it to get:

a bursary or scholarship from a university or college

extra student finance for children or dependent adults

How to apply

To apply, you must have already created an online account and given information about a previous tax year.

You then need to complete these 3 steps.

Fill in a current year income assessment form and send it to Student Finance England.

Keep your income details up to date during the year.

Confirm your actual income at the end of the tax year (the year).

Fill in a current year income assessment form

Fill in the form (a current year income assessment form) and send it (a current year income assessment form) to Student Finance England. You can do this through your online account (an online account), or print out the form (a current year income assessment form) and send it (a current year income assessment form) by post.

If you’re the parent of the student and your partner also lives in the household, you’ll both need to complete the form (a current year income assessment form), even if only one income has changed.

This (need) is because you’re assessed on household income from the same tax year.

When you’re estimating your income, include:

working overtime or extra hours

any maternity or paternity pay

any casual work, shift work or contract work

any pay rises, bonuses or redundancy pay

income changes from changing jobs or returning to work

income from self-employment

Academic year | Course type | Form

2021 to 2022 | Any | Current year income assessment form - 2021 to 2022

2020 to 2021 | Any | Current year income assessment form - 2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020 | Part-time | Current year income assessment form for part-time students - 2019 to 2020

Keep your income details up to date

If your income changes during the year, send a new current tax year income assessment form to Student Finance England as soon as possible.

You’ll be reassessed and the amount of money your student is entitled to might go up or down. Student Finance England will contact the student directly to let them know.

If you do not keep your income details up to date your student may be overpaid. They’ll have to pay back any overpayment straight away.

Confirm your income at the end of the tax year (the year)

After the tax year (the year) finishes you must send evidence of what your actual income was for the year. You’ll usually be sent a form to fill in at the start of May.

If you’re self-employed

If you have not completed your tax return yet, fill in the form to ask to delay providing evidence until after the Self Assessment deadline (January the following year).

You still need to return evidence for any other employment, for example if you had a salaried job earlier in the year.

If your household income is different from what you estimated

How much your student is entitled to will change. If your actual income was:

lower - your student might be entitled to more money

higher - your student will have to repay any extra money they received

If you do not send in evidence your student will only be entitled to basic student finance. They (your student)’ll have to repay any extra money they (your student) got based on your income straight away.

If you need to update your details

Fill in a PFF2 or PFF3 form if:

you made a mistake

your circumstances change, such as your marital status or you have another child

Academic year | Course type | Form

2021 to 2022 | Any | PFF2: income details form for full-time students - 2021 to 2022

2020 to 2021 | Any | PFF2: income details form - 2020 to 2021

2019 to 2020 | Part-time | PFF3: income details form for part-time students - 2019 to 2020

Use your online account to send the form to Student Finance England, or send it by post.


Employers: preventing discrimination

Overview

It is against the law to treat someone less favourably than someone else because of a personal characteristic such as religion, sex, gender reassignment or age.

Discrimination can include:

not hiring someone

selecting a particular person for redundancy

paying someone less than another worker without good reason

You can discriminate against someone even if you do not intend to. For example, you can discriminate indirectly by offering working conditions or rules that disadvantage one group of people more than another.

Discrimination during recruitment

Discrimination in job adverts

You must not state or imply in a job advert that you’ll discriminate against anyone. This includes saying that you are not able to cater for workers with a disability.

Only use phrases like ‘recent graduate’ or ‘highly experienced’ when these are actual requirements of the job. Otherwise you could discriminate against younger or older people who might not have had the opportunity to get qualifications.

Where you advertise might cause indirect discrimination - for example, advertising only in men’s magazines.

Get help advertising a job without discriminating

Questions you cannot ask when recruiting

You must not ask candidates about ‘protected characteristics’ or whether they:

are married, single or in a civil partnership

have children or plan to have children

Asking about health or disability

You can only ask about health or disability if:

there are necessary requirements of the job (a job) that cannot be met with reasonable adjustments

you’re finding out if someone needs help to take part in a selection test or interview

you’re using ‘positive action’ to recruit a disabled person

You might be breaking the law if any discrimination happens during their (a disabled person) recruitment process, even if you use a recruitment agency.

Asking for a date of birth

You can only ask for someone’s date of birth on an application form if they must be a certain age to do the job, for example selling alcohol.

You can ask someone their date of birth on a separate equality monitoring form. You should not let the person selecting or interviewing candidates see this form.

Spent criminal convictions

Applicants do not have to tell you about criminal convictions that are spent. You must treat the applicant as if the conviction has not happened, and cannot refuse to employ the person because of their conviction.

There are some areas of employment that are exempt from this rule, for example schools.

Trade union membership

You must not use membership of a trade union as a factor in deciding whether to employ someone. This includes:

not employing someone because they’re a member of a trade union

insisting someone joins a trade union before you’ll employ them (someone)

Employing people with protected characteristics

You can choose a candidate who has a protected characteristic over one who does not if they’re both suitable for the job and you think that people with that characteristic:

are underrepresented in the workforce, profession or industry

suffer a disadvantage connected to that characteristic (a protected characteristic) (for example people from a certain ethnic group are not often given jobs in your sector)

You can only do this (choose) if you’re trying to address the under-representation or disadvantage for that particular characteristic (a protected characteristic). You must make decisions on a case by case basis and not because of a certain policy.

You cannot choose a candidate who is not as suitable for the job just because they have a protected characteristic.

Favouring disabled candidates

When a disabled person and a non-disabled person both meet the job requirements, you can treat the disabled person more favourably.

Discrimination during employment

You must not discriminate against your employees. This could be done by, for example:

introducing measures that discriminate between workers, for example a benefit for married
employees that’s not available for people in a civil partnership

paying men and women different amounts (this includes benefits, for example company cars) when they’re doing work of equal value

selecting someone for redundancy because they have a protected characteristic

failing to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled worker

firing someone for making an allegation of discrimination

firing someone because they’re a union member

unfairly rejecting a request for flexible working from a new parent

This includes self-employed people on a contract for you.

Training and promotion cannot just happen because of an employee’s age or the time they’ve worked for you.

You’re allowed to ask employees about their future career plans, including retirement. But you cannot just choose older workers for discussions about retirement. Such talks should be part of general discussions about each worker’s career development.

Employment tribunals

An employee who thinks they’ve been discriminated against may raise a grievance or take their case to an employment tribunal.

You’re responsible for discrimination carried out by your employees unless you can show you’ve done everything you reasonably could to prevent or stop it.

Employing family members

If you hire members of your family you must:

avoid special treatment in terms of pay, promotion and working conditions

make sure tax and National Insurance contributions are done correctly

Gender reassignment

The moment a worker tells their employer that they’re having gender reassignment, they’re protected from discrimination. Discrimination includes:

disadvantaging the worker (a worker) because of the time they (An employee who thinks they’ve been discriminated against) have to take off because of medical treatment

not enabling the worker (a worker) to use facilities appropriate to their (a worker) gender

To avoid discrimination, you must:

change your records (for example human resources records) when the worker has a Gender Reassignment Certificate and a new birth certificate

ensure complete confidentiality of all information the worker (a worker) gives you about their (a worker) gender history


Flexible working

Overview

Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home.

Flexible working rules are different in Northern Ireland.

All employees have the legal right to request flexible working - not just parents and carers.

This (request) is known as ‘making a statutory application’.

Employees must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks to be eligible.

What employers must do

Employers must deal with requests in a ‘reasonable manner’.

Examples of handling requests in a reasonable manner include:

assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the application

holding a meeting to discuss the request (the application) with the employee

offering an appeal process

If an employer does not handle a request in a reasonable manner, the employee (an employee’s) can take them to an employment tribunal.

An employer can refuse an application if they have a good business reason for doing so.

Types of flexible working

There are different ways of working flexibly.

Job sharing

Two people do one job and split the hours.

Working from home

It might be possible to do some or all of the work from home or anywhere else other than the normal place of work.

Part time

Working less than full-time hours (usually by working fewer days).

Compressed hours

Working full-time hours but over fewer days.

Flexitime

The employee chooses when to start and end work (within agreed limits) but works certain ‘core hours’, for example 10am to 4pm every day.

Annualised hours

The employee has to work a certain number of hours over the year but they have some flexibility about when they work. There are sometimes ‘core hours’ which the employee regularly works each week, and they work the rest of their hours flexibly or when there’s extra demand at work.

Staggered hours

The employee has different start, finish and break times from other workers.

Phased retirement

Default retirement age has been phased out and older workers can choose when they want to retire. This means they can reduce their hours and work part time.

Applying for flexible working

Employees can apply for flexible working if they’ve worked continuously for the same employer for the last 26 weeks. It’s known as ‘making a statutory application.’

The basic steps are:

The employee writes to the employer (the same employer).

The employer (the same employer) considers the request (apply) and makes a decision within 3 months - or longer if agreed with the employee.

If the employer (the same employer) agrees to the request (apply), they (the same employer) must change the terms and conditions in the employee’s (The employee) contract.

If the employer (the same employer) disagrees, they (the same employer) must write to the employee giving the business reasons for the refusal (apply).  The employee may be able to complain to an employment tribunal.

Employees can only make one application for flexible working a year.

Writing to the employer

An employee should email or write a letter to their employer (the same employer).

Employers may ask employees to use a standard form to make an application.

What the email or letter must include

The application (an application) must include:

the date

a statement that this is a statutory request

details of how the employee wants to work flexibly and when they (older workers) want to start

an explanation of how they (older workers) think flexible working might affect the business and how this could be dealt with, for example if they (older workers)’re not at work on certain days

a statement saying if and when they’ve made a previous application

Withdrawing an application

Employees should tell their employer in writing if they want to withdraw their application.

The employer can treat an application as withdrawn if the employee misses 2 meetings to discuss an application or appeal without good reason, for example sickness.

The employer must tell the employee they (The employer) are treating the request (an application) as withdrawn.

After the application (an application)

Employers must consider flexible working requests in a ‘reasonable manner’.

They (Employers) should usually make a decision within 3 months of the request (or longer if agreed with the employee).

Agreeing the application (an application)

The employer should write to the employee with:

a statement of the agreed changes

a start date for flexible working

They (the employer) should also change the employee’s (the employee) contract to include the new terms and conditions.

This (change) should be done as soon as possible but no later than 28 days after the request (an application) was approved.

Rejecting an application

The employer must tell the employee that they (The employer)’ve rejected the application (an application).

Reasons for rejecting

Employers can reject an application for any of the following reasons:

extra costs that will damage the business

the work cannot be reorganised among other staff

people cannot be recruited to do the work

flexible working will affect quality and performance

the business will not be able to meet customer demand

there’s a lack of work to do during the proposed working times

the business is planning changes to the workforce

Appeals

Employees no longer have a statutory right to an appeal.

But offering an appeals process helps to demonstrate that the employer is handling requests in a ‘reasonable manner’.

How to appeal

The employee must follow the company’s procedures for appealing.

The employee or employer should follow the company’s procedures for solving a workplace dispute if a rejected application causes problems.

Going to an employment tribunal

Employees can complain to an employment tribunal if the employer:

did not handle the request in a ‘reasonable manner’

wrongly treated the employee’s (Employees) application (an application) as withdrawn

dismissed or treated an employee poorly because of their flexible working request, for example refused a promotion or pay rise

rejected an application based on incorrect facts

Employees cannot complain to a tribunal just because their flexible working request was rejected.

An employee should complain to the tribunal (an employment tribunal) within 3 months of:

hearing their (An employee) employer’s (the employer) decision

hearing their (An employee) request (their flexible working request) was treated as withdrawn

the date the employer should have responded to their (An employee) request (but failed to do so)

If an employer or employee is unsure of their rights, they should get legal advice.


Overtime: your rights

Overview

If you have normal working hours, overtime usually means any time you work beyond these hours.

Normal working hours are the hours fixed by your employment contract.

Overtime pay

Employers do not have to pay workers for overtime. However, your average pay for the total hours you work must not fall below the National Minimum Wage.

Your employment contract will usually include details of any overtime pay rates and how they’re worked out.

Help and advice

Contact Acas for free and confidential advice on working hours.

Compulsory overtime

You only have to work overtime if your contract says so.

Even if it (your contract) does, by law, you cannot usually be forced to work more than an average of 48 hours per week. You can agree to work longer - but this agreement must be in writing and signed by you.

Unless your contract guarantees you overtime, your employer can stop you from working it.

However, your employer cannot discriminate against anyone, for example by stopping some employees from working overtime while letting others do so.

Part-time workers

Usually, part-time workers must not be treated less favourably than full-time staff.

You’ll normally get paid at your hourly rate if you work longer hours than set out in your employment contract. Your employer will usually only pay overtime if at least one of the following applies:

you work more than the normal working hours of full-time staff and full-time staff would get extra pay for working these hours

you work at unsocial times (for example, late at night) and full-time staff would get more pay

Your contract will say if your right to paid overtime is different.

Time off and paid leave

Time off in lieu (TOIL)

Some employers give you time off instead of paying for overtime. This is known as ‘time off in lieu’.

You agree the terms (for example, when it (time off) can be taken) with your employer.


Making staff redundant

Overview

Redundancy is when you dismiss an employee because you no longer need anyone to do their job. This might be because your business is:

changing what it (your business) does

doing things in a different way, for example using new machinery

changing location or closing down

If you’ve been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19), you can get funding to continue to pay your employees instead of making them redundant. This is known as furloughing.

For a redundancy to be genuine, you must demonstrate that the employee’s (an employee) job will no longer exist.

Redundancies can be compulsory or non-compulsory. If you do have to make redundancies you can get help from Jobcentre Plus.

Employee rights

Employees have certain rights and may be entitled to redundancy pay if they’re made redundant.

All employees under notice of redundancy have the right to:

reasonable time off to look for a new job or arrange training

not be unfairly selected for redundancy

You should always take steps to avoid redundancies before dismissing staff.

Alternative employment

Employers must try to find suitable alternative employment within the organisation for employees they’ve made redundant.

Employees can try out an alternative role for 4 weeks (or more if agreed in writing) without giving up their right to redundancy pay.

Avoiding redundancies

You should take steps to avoid compulsory redundancies, for example by:

seeking applicants for voluntary redundancy or early retirement

seeking applications from existing staff to work flexibly

laying off self-employed contractors, freelancers etc

not using casual labour

restricting recruitment

reducing or banning overtime

filling vacancies elsewhere in the business with existing employees

short-time working or temporary lay-offs

Offers of alternative work

Even if you’ve selected someone for redundancy, you can still offer them alternative work.

For an offer to be valid:

it (an offer) should be unconditional and in writing

it (an offer) must be made before the employee’s current contract ends

it (an offer) should show how the new job differs from the old

the job (the new job) must actually be offered to the employee (the employee’s) - they (the employee’s) should not have to apply

the new job must start within 4 weeks of the old job (the old) ending

Employees who accept an offer of alternative work are allowed a 4-week trial period to see if the work is suitable. If you both agree that it is not, they can still claim redundancy pay.

The trial period (a 4-week trial period) can be longer than 4 weeks if you (you both) agree this in writing.

If you think the job (the new job) is suitable but the employee refuses to take it (the new job), they might lose any redundancy pay entitlement.

Lay-offs and short-time working

You can lay off an employee (ask them to stay at home or take unpaid leave) when you temporarily cannot give them paid work - as long as the employment contract allows this.

Short-time working is when an employee works reduced hours or is paid less than half a week’s pay.

Laying off staff or short-time working can help avoid redundancies - but you have to agree this with staff first.

This (agree) could be in:

their (staff) employment contract

a national agreement for the industry

a collective agreement between you and a recognised trade union

National and collective agreements can only be enforced if they’re in the employee’s employment contract.

You may also be able to lay off an employee or put them on short-time working:

where you have clear evidence showing it’s been widely accepted in your organisation over a long period of time

if you agree with the employee to change their employment contract (the employment contract) to allow them to be laid off or put on short-time working (this will not automatically give you the power to do this without their consent in the future)

Statutory guarantee payments

Employees are entitled to these (Statutory guarantee payments) if you do not provide them with a full day’s work during the time they’d normally be required to work.

The maximum payment is £30 a day for 5 days (£150) in any 3 months. If employees usually earn less than £30 a day, they’ll get their usual daily rate. For part-time workers, the rate is worked out proportionally.

Employees can claim a redundancy payment from you if the lay-off or short-time working runs for:

4 or more weeks in a row

6 or more weeks in a 13 week period, where no more than 3 are in a row

They (Employees) must give you written notice in advance that they (Employees) want to make a claim.

You do not have to pay if they (Employees)’ll return to normal working hours within 4 weeks.

If you do not give guarantee pay to someone who’s entitled to it, they could take you to an employment tribunal.

There’s more advice on lay-offs and short-time working on the Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) website.

Non-compulsory redundancy

Voluntary redundancy

This (Voluntary redundancy) is where you ask employees if they’d like to volunteer for redundancy.

You must have a fair and transparent selection process and tell employees they will not automatically be selected just because they applied.

Early retirement

This (Voluntary redundancy) is where you offer employees incentives to retire early. It (Voluntary redundancy) is used as an alternative to voluntary redundancy.

The offer (offer) must be made across the workforce - you cannot single out specific individuals.

You cannot force anyone into early retirement - it must be the employee’s choice.

Compulsory redundancy

If you decide you need to make compulsory redundancies, you must:

identify which employees will be made redundant

make sure you select people fairly - do not discriminate

Fair selection criteria

Fair reasons for selecting employees for redundancy include:

skills, qualifications and aptitude

standard of work and/or performance

attendance

disciplinary record

You can select employees based on their length of service (‘last in, first out’) but only if you can justify it. It could be indirect discrimination if it affects one group of people more than another.

Do not rely on length of service as your only selection criteria - this is likely to be age discrimination.

Unfair selection criteria

Some selection criteria are automatically unfair. You must not select an employee for redundancy based on any of the following reasons:

pregnancy, including all reasons relating to maternity

family, including parental leave, paternity leave (birth and adoption), adoption leave or time off for dependants

acting as an employee representative

acting as a trade union representative

joining or not joining a trade union

being a part-time or fixed-term employee

age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation

pay and working hours, including the Working Time Regulations, annual leave and the National Minimum Wage

You should always consult employees in a redundancy situation.

Redundancy consultations

If you do not consult employees in a redundancy situation, any redundancies you make will almost certainly be unfair and you could be taken to an employment tribunal.

You must follow ‘collective consultation’ rules if you’re making 20 or more employees redundant within any 90-day period at a single establishment.

There are no set rules to follow if there are fewer than 20 redundancies planned, but it’s good practice to fully consult employees and their representatives. An employment tribunal could decide that you’ve dismissed your staff unfairly if you do not.

Consultation does not have to end in agreement, but it must be carried out with a view to reaching it, including ways of avoiding or reducing the redundancies.

Collective consultation

Follow these steps.

You must notify the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) before a consultation starts. The deadline depends on the number of proposed redundancies.

Consult with trade union representatives or elected employee representatives - or with staff directly if there are none.

Provide information to representatives or staff about the planned redundancies, giving representatives or staff enough time to consider them.

Respond to any requests for further information.

Give any affected staff termination notices showing the agreed leaving date.

Issue redundancy notices once the consultation is complete.

Notification

Notify RPS (the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS)) by filling in form HR1. Instructions on where to send it are on the form.

The deadline for notifying RPS (the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS)) depends on the number of proposed redundancies.

Number of proposed redundancies | When notification to RPS (the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS)) must be given

20 to 99 | 30 days before the first redundancy

100 or more | 45 days before the first redundancy

You can be fined an unlimited amount if you do not notify RPS (the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS)).

Consultation

There’s no time limit on how long consultations last, but there is a minimum period before you can dismiss any employees.

Number of proposed redundancies | Minimum consultation period before dismissal

20 to 99 | 30 days

100 or more | 45 days

Information you must provide to representatives or staff

You must provide written details of:

the reasons for redundancies

the numbers and categories of employees involved

the numbers of employees in each category

how you plan to select employees for redundancy

how you’ll carry out redundancies

how you’ll work out redundancy payments

Further information

Download the guidance on how to manage collective redundancies from Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

Giving staff notice

You must give staff notice and agree a leaving date once you’ve finished the redundancy consultations.

Give staff at least the statutory notice period, based on how long they have worked.

Length of service | Notice you must give

1 month to 2 years | At least a week

2 years to 12 years | A week’s notice for every year employed

12 or more years | 12 weeks

You can allow staff to leave earlier than the planned leaving date (for example without notice) by offering payment in lieu of notice.

Notice pay

You must give staff notice pay - based on their pay rate and notice period - or make a payment in lieu of notice.

Your employee’s notice pay is based on the average they earned per week over the 12 weeks before their notice period starts.

If your employee earned less than usual because you used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to put them ‘on furlough’, you must work out their notice payments based on what they would have earned normally.

Pay in lieu of notice

If you have included a payment in lieu of notice clause in the employment contract, you can end your staff’s employment with no notice. This lets you make a payment to cover the notice period they would have worked.

These payments must have tax and National Insurance deducted.

When you make payments in lieu of notice, you still have to pay staff the basic pay they would have got during the notice period (their notice period). You also have to pay pension, private health care insurance or other contributions if it’s in the employee’s contract.

Redundancy pay

Employees you make redundant might be entitled to redundancy pay - this is called a ‘statutory redundancy payment’.

To be eligible, an individual must:

be an employee working under a contract of employment

have at least 2 years’ continuous service

have been dismissed, laid off or put on short-time working - those who opted for early retirement do not qualify

You must make the payment (redundancy pay) when you dismiss the employee, or soon after.

A redundant employee also has the right to a written statement setting out the amount of redundancy payment and how you worked it out.

Statutory redundancy pay rates

These (Statutory redundancy pay rates) are based on an employee’s age and length of employment and are counted back from the date of dismissal.

Employees get:

1.5 weeks’ pay for each full year of employment after their (Employees) 41st birthday

a week’s pay for each full year of employment after their (Employees) 22nd birthday

half a week’s pay for each full year of employment up to their (Employees) 22nd birthday

Length of service is capped at 20 years.

Your employee’s weekly pay is the average they earned per week over the 12 weeks before the day they got their redundancy notice.

If your employee earned less than usual because you used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to put them ‘on furlough’, you must work out their redundancy payments based on what they would have earned normally.

Weekly pay is capped at £544. The maximum amount of statutory redundancy pay is £16,320.

Statutory redundancy pay rates may be different in Northern Ireland.

You can give your staff extra redundancy pay if you want to, or have a qualifying period of less than 2 years.

You can use the redundancy pay calculator to work out payments.

If you do not pay

If you fail to pay redundancy pay or if an employee disagrees with the amount, they have 3 months from the date their employment ended to make a claim for payment to an employment tribunal.

If an employee does not claim in time, a tribunal still has 6 months to decide whether or not they should get a payment.

If you have financial difficulties

If your business would become insolvent as a result of making the statutory redundancy payments, the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) may be able to help.

You’d have to repay any debt as soon as possible. Email the Redundancy Payments Service (the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service (RPS)) for more information. Include all of the following in your email:

your name

whether you’re the employer

whether you should be the main point of contact

the name of your business

your business address

number of redundancies

Tax

Employees who’ve been made redundant only pay tax on payments over £30,000. They (an employee) do not pay any National Insurance.

Tax and National Insurance are deducted from other termination payments, for example payment in lieu of holiday or notice.

Getting help

If you have to make redundancies, Jobcentre Plus can give you and your employees support and advice through its Rapid Response Service.

Support could include:

helping people facing redundancy to write CVs and find jobs

providing general information about benefits

helping people to find the right training and learn new skills

helping with costs like travel to work expenses

Jobcentre Plus may also provide on-site support for large scale redundancies.

In Scotland, Rapid Response Service support is delivered through Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) - there’s more information on the Skills Development Scotland website.

In Wales, the service (its Rapid Response Service) is delivered by the ReAct scheme.

Acas has an online redundancy helpline.

How to get help

To find out how your business can use the Rapid Response Service (its Rapid Response Service), email rrs.enquiries@dwp.gov.uk and include:

your contact details

the town(s) your business is based in (including postcodes)

the location(s) of the redundancies


Health and safety on ships

Overview

Operators of seagoing ships or small commercial vessels must protect the health and safety of workers by:

following safety standards and codes of practice

ensuring the safety of machinery and equipment

making sure the vessel is safely manned and all workers have the necessary qualifications

having the right emergency procedures and equipment

providing health protection and medical care

doing regular risk assessments

supplying necessary protective clothing and equipment

monitoring maritime safety information broadcasts

consulting with workers or their representatives on health and safety matters

Providing health and safety training

Workers must get basic health and safety training. There’s more information on what this covers on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

Written health and safety policy

The ship must must have a policy that sets out how health and safety will be managed. Read guidance on writing a health and safety policy.

Risk assessments

Regular risk assessments must be carried out to see how accidents, injuries or illnesses could be caused on the ship and what can be done to reduce the chances of them happening.

Risk assessments must be reviewed every year and whenever there are significant changes to either the ship or working activities.

Read chapter 1 of the ‘Code of safe working practices for merchant seafarers 2018’ for the basic requirements for risk assessments on board ships.

Read the ‘Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997’ for the requirements for risk assessments on merchant ships.

Safe working practices

Code of safe working practices

By law, up-to-date copies of the ‘Code of safe working practices for merchant seamen’ must be carried on a UK ship that’s not a fishing boat or pleasure craft.

A copy of the code (Code of safe working practices) must be available to any seaman who requests it.

The ‘Code of safe working practices for merchant seamen (Consolidated edition 2011)’ is available to buy from The Stationery Office.

Read the ‘Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997’ for safety standards and requirements for merchant ships.

Safety signs

Certain health and safety signs must be displayed on ships, such as emergency escape signs or danger warning signs. Signs must meet legal requirements if they’re permanently displayed.

Read the ‘Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 2001’ to find out how and where safety signs and signals must be displayed.

‘Permit to work’

The ‘permit to work’ system (‘Permit to work’) reduces the risk of accidents on board ship. Under this system (‘Permit to work’), seafarers must get written permission from a senior officer before they can perform hazardous tasks, like:

working aloft and outboard

working with boilers

‘hot work’ (work which could result in the ignition of flammable material, for example welding)

working in unmanned machinery spaces

entry into enclosed spaces

electrical testing

Read about using ‘permit to work’ schemes to test electrical systems.

Read ‘Safety Preparations Prior to Machinery Maintenance’ to find out how to prepare for doing maintenance on machinery on ships.

‘Permit to work’ templates

Protective equipment

Workers must be given suitable protective equipment if performing dangerous tasks.

You should only use protective equipment when risks cannot be avoided or reduced to an acceptable level by safe working practices. This equipment should:

meet the required standards

be a correct fit for the worker or adjustable

be compatible with any other equipment the worker has to use

be easily accessible, properly stored and maintained

be provided free of charge (unless it (protective equipment)’s also used outside the workplace)

Read the ‘Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels Personal Protective Equipment Regulations’ to find out about personal protective equipment.

Noise and vibration

Risk assessments must be carried out to identify who is at risk from noise or vibration on a ship and what can be done to reduce or remove these risks.

Workers must be told about:

the nature of noise or vibration risks

how to eliminate or reduce the risks from noise or vibration

the correct use of any protective equipment

how to detect and report signs of injury

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) provides information on controlling the risks of noise and vibration at sea.

Read the:

code of practice for controlling risks due to noise and vibration on ships

guidance on mitigating against the effects of shocks and impacts on small vessels

You may be able to get an exemption from the noise and vibration requirements.

Find out how to apply for an exemption from the:

control of vibration at work regulations

control of noise at work regulations

Small commercial vessels

Small commercial vessels must have safety measures in place for workers, such as:

bulwarks, guardrails or wire around the working deck to stop people falling overboard

safety harnesses for anyone working on deck

a means of securing the lifelines of safety harnesses

non-slip deck surfaces

Smaller commercial vessels (under 24 metres) must comply with the ‘Small commercial vessels codes’ to ensure the health and safety of workers on board.

Seagoing passenger vessels

Domestic passenger ships

Seagoing domestic passenger ships, for example ferries, must meet minimum safety requirements regarding:

general safety management policies

manning levels

proper and stable construction

carriage of safety equipment

pollution prevention

A passenger ship is a ship of any description that carries more than 12 passengers. There are various safety standards for seagoing passenger ships. Local Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Marine Offices have more information on these standards.

International passenger ships

Passenger ships which operate internationally must follow international conventions, such as the:

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

International Convention on Load Lines

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

Local MCA Marine Offices have information on which safety standards apply.

Safety on vessels on inland waters

Passenger vessels operating on inland waters - like estuaries, lakes and rivers and canals - must follow safety standards and requirements.

Inland waters or inland waterways are known legally as ‘categorised waters’. These waters are defined and listed in Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) 1827 (as amended) Categorisation of Waters.

A passenger ship is a vessel that carries more than 12 passengers.

The rules for passenger ships built since April 2010, and operating in UK categorised waters are in ‘Merchant Shipping Notice 1823 (M) - Safety Code for Passenger Ships Operating Solely in UK Categorised Waters’.

The rules for older passenger ships are covered by several different sets of regulations. Contact the local  Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Marine Office for details.

Safety standards and best practice guidance for these vessels (Vessels that carry no more than 12 passengers) are set out in the Inland Waters Small Passenger Boat Code.

Marine engineering

Marine engineering involves the design, construction, installation, and operation of systems and equipment that help to move and control ships. Safety measures must be in place for any crew members using or maintaining marine engineering equipment, such as:

switchboards and computerised equipment

machinery installations

boilers and emergency equipment

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) (MCA) provides information on the safe installation and use of marine engineering.

Fire prevention

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) (MCA) provides information on requirements for fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction on board ships.

The rules depend on the size of the ship.

Requirements for large ships are in the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations 1998.

Requirements for small ships are in the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998.

You should also read the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2003 – it includes amendments to the regulations for large and small ships.

Contact the MCA (MCA) to find out more about fire prevention and detection at sea.

Safety in ports

Health and safety measures must be in place to ensure the safety of  workers while in a port.

There is a range of publications and guidance on health and safety in ports on the Health and Safety Executive website.


Make benefit debt deductions from an employee's pay

Overview

As an employer you may be asked to deduct benefit overpayments an employee owes the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from their pay. This is called a Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA).

DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) will write to you and ask you to operate the DEA (deduct) scheme if any of your employees are affected. DEA (deduct) only applies to a small proportion of people owing money to DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)).

You may also be asked to make deductions for Housing Benefit overpayments an employee owes their local authority. Contact local authorities, not DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)), about these deductions.

How it works

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you if you need to make Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) deductions for an employee.

How deductions work

You’ll need to follow these steps if you get a letter from DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) saying you need to make Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) deductions for an employee:

Tell your employee that money will be deducted from their pay.

Work out how much to deduct from your employee’s pay (their pay).

Check if your employee has other debt orders to pay and if they take priority over DEA (deduct).

Take the money from your employee’s pay (their pay).

Pay the money to DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) no later than the 19th day of the month following deduction in your payroll.

Continue to make employee deductions and payments to DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) until the debt has been repaid or DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) tells you to stop.

Read the employer’s guide for more information on DEA (deduct) deductions and payments.

Record keeping

You must keep a record of deductions and tell DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) when an employee leaves your company.

You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not make DEA (deduct) deductions.

Help with DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) payments

Call the employer helpline if you have questions about how to run DEA (deduct) or pay DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)).

This helpline (the employer helpline) is for DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) deductions only. Contact your employee’s local authority for Housing Benefit deductions.

Calculating DEA (deduct)

To calculate the deductions from your employee’s pay you’ll have to:

work out the employee’s (your employee’s) earnings after tax, class 1 National Insurance and workplace pension contributions

deduct the percentage shown in the table from the employee’s (your employee’s) earnings

check if the employee (your employee’s) has other debt orders and if they take priority over Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) (deduct) - see the employer’s guide

If the total of all deductions is more than 40% of the employee’s net earnings, DEA (deduct) must be adjusted - see the employer’s guide.

If payments are made every 2 or 4 weeks, calculate weekly pay and deduct the percentage in the table.

Standard DEA rates

Deductions from earnings | Employee’s weekly pay (weekly pay) | Employee’s monthly pay

Nothing to deduct | £100 or less | £430 or less

3% | £100.01 to £160 | £430.01 to £690

5% | £160.01 to £220 | £690.01 to £950

7% | £220.01 to £270 | £950.01 to £1,160

11% | £270.01 to £375 | £1,160.01 to £1,615

15% | £375.01 to £520 | £1,615.01 to £2,240

20% | More than £520 | More than £2,240

Higher DEA rates

In some circumstances you may be asked to deduct DEA (deduct) at a higher rate. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tell you which rate to use when it contacts you to set up DEA (deduct) deductions.

5% | £100 or less | £430 or less

6% | £100.01 to £160 | £430.01 to £690

10% | £160.01 to £220 | £690.01 to £950

14% | £220.01 to £270 | £950.01 to £1,160

22% | £270.01 to £375 | £1,160.01 to £1,615

30% | £375.01 to £520 | £1,615.01 to £2,240

40% | More than £520 | More than £2,240

Call the employer helpline if you’re unsure which rate to pay.

There is more detail about calculating DEA in the employer’s guide.

What counts as earnings

When calculating Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) payments, you should include as earnings:

wages and salary

fees

bonuses

commission

overtime pay

occupational pensions if paid with wages or salary

compensation payments

Statutory Sick Pay

most other payments on top of wages

pay in lieu of notice

Do not count:

Statutory Maternity Pay

Statutory Adoption Pay

Ordinary or Additional Paternity Pay

guaranteed minimum pension

any money the employee gets from the government, such as benefits, pensions or credits (includes Northern Ireland or anywhere outside the UK)

statutory redundancy pay

expenses

pay or allowances as a member of HM Forces (does not include allowances for special members of the reserve force)


National Minimum Wage and Living Wage: accommodation

Accommodation rates

Accommodation provided by an employer can be taken into account when calculating the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

No other kind of company benefit (such as food, a car, childcare vouchers) counts towards the minimum wage.

Accommodation offset rates

The accommodation rates are set in April each year.

Year | Daily accommodation offset rate | Weekly accommodation offset rate

April 2021 (current rate) | £8.36 | £58.52

Previous rates

2020 | £8.20 | £57.40

2019 | £7.55 | £52.85

2018 | £7 | £49

2017 | £6.40 | £44.80

2016 (October) | £6 | £42

2015 | £5.35 | £37.45

2014 | £5.08 | £35.56

Use the minimum wage calculator to check if it’s been paid.

Using the offset rate to work out the minimum wage

If an employer charges more than the offset rate, the difference is taken off the worker’s pay which counts for the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

This means the higher the accommodation charge, the lower a worker’s pay when calculating the minimum wage.

If the accommodation charge is at or below the offset rate, it (the accommodation charge) does not have an effect on the worker’s (a worker’s) pay.

If the accommodation is free, the offset rate is added to the worker’s (a worker’s) pay.

See examples of accommodation rates for minimum wage calculations.

What counts as accommodation charges

Include these costs as part of your overall accommodation charges:

rent

charges for things like gas, electricity, furniture

laundry

Working out if the employer provides the accommodation

The employer is providing accommodation if any of these apply:

the accommodation comes with the job

the employer (or a connected person or company) owns or rents the property the worker (a worker’s) lives in, even if there’s no direct link between the job and the accommodation

the employer (or an owner, business partner, shareholder or director) gets a payment or benefit from the worker’s landlord or a member of the landlord’s family

Accommodation costs count towards the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, even if the worker does not have to use the accommodation to do the job. If the accommodation is optional, it only counts as a cost if the worker uses it.

Local housing authority and social housing providers

If someone working for a local housing authority or social housing provider gets accommodation from their work, this does not automatically count towards the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

It (the accommodation) only counts if the accommodation is linked to the employment. For example, a care warden who has to live on site has their accommodation linked to their job.

Higher or further education institutions

Accommodation is not counted when working out the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage if it’s provided by a higher or further education institution to a worker who’s enrolled on a full-time course with the institution.

Help and advice

Call the Acas helpline if you have any questions about workers’ rights and the minimum wage.

Effect on the minimum wage

This effect of accommodation rates on the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage depends on how much an employer charges for accommodation.

It’s calculated by ‘pay period’, the intervals at which someone is being paid. This can be weekly, monthly or in irregular intervals like every 10 days.

If the accommodation is free, it still affects the minimum wage. There is an offset rate of £8.36 per day for this.

It does not matter if the cost of the accommodation is taken from the worker’s wages beforehand or if the worker pays the cost after they get their wages.

Examples