Supporting Disabled Students in Higher Education

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:18 pm on 16 March 2022.

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Photo of Carolyn Thomas Carolyn Thomas Labour 2:18, 16 March 2022

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.