7. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language about measures to support disabled students to access higher education? OQ57793

Eligible disabled students in Wales can access up to £31,831 of the non-repayable disabled students allowance grant to support them to access higher education. This amount is increasing to £32,546 for the academic year 2022/23.

Can I thank the Minister and can I welcome the steps that Welsh Government has taken to support disabled students to live independently whilst accessing higher education? But during a recent meeting with Citizens Advice Denbighshire, it was highlighted to me that new regulations introduced by the UK Government has made it harder for disabled students in non-advanced education to qualify for housing support through universal credit by getting rid of an exemption to the requirement to not be receiving education. And when the regulation was announced in December, Citizens Advice had to inform a client enrolled on a college course that they would be no longer able to live independently through universal credit if they wished to continue their college course. So, their options were either to withdraw from the course and live independently, or to stop living independently and continue the course, which is an awful choice to be faced with.

So, what conversations have you had with the Minister for education to investigate how the Welsh Government can support disabled people in non-advanced education to live independently through its competence over student finance, as it currently does for those in higher education? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Carolyn Thomas. Wales does provide the most generous non-repayable disabled student allowance grant support available in the UK, but you have drawn attention to an issue experienced by your constituent as a result of your consultation. We're keeping a watching brief on this in terms of these regulations, and we're also in touch with all the further education colleges' additional learning needs co-ordinators, so that they can be aware and know of the issues.