Have you lost your part-time job, or been asked to stay away from work?

The University of Roehampton is focussed on supporting our students and graduates over the weeks to come. Thank you to everyone for staying in touch and reinforcing the strong Roehampton community at this time.

The following tips, links and press articles may help University of Roehampton students or alumni who may have lost their job or been told to stay away from their place of work due to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19).  If you have been furloughed, this means that you are kept on the payroll, even though you aren’t currently working;

• Ask your employer about the Government scheme for furloughed workers.
• If you are ill, or self-isolating, check with your employer to confirm their policy regarding sick pay and time off for illness. If you are not entitled to your normal pay, you may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. You should normally claim Statutory Sick Pay through your employer.
• If you are a student parent, student with a disability or a part time student and have lost your job, you may be able to claim welfare benefits whilst you study. This is a complex area and will depend on your individual circumstances.
• If you are self – employed and lost income due to Coronavirus (COVIS 19)  you may be able to claim a grant through the self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Please check the criteria before submitting a claim.

Full-Time Students

The eligibility rules for full-time students are complicated.  An enquiry at the Jobcentre will often result in the answer that “full time students can’t get benefits”. However, it is worth double-checking, as there are limited situations in which full-time students can, in fact, claim benefits.

You may be entitled to benefits as a full- time student if you are:

• A lone parent (benefits differ depending on the age of your youngest child);
• Living with a long-term illness or disability;
• In receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) for deafness;
• Part of a couple, both of whom are full-time students, and have care of a child under 16 (or under 19 in full-time education).

Part-Time Students 

Students who started their course on a part-time basis have the same access to benefits as non-students, but a change in circumstances can still affect your benefits, for example, if your income changes or you change your hours at work to fit with your studies. 

The Gov. uk weblinks below detail the main list of benefits available and their criteria;

• Universal Credit
• Employment Support Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment/ Disability Living Allowance
• Job Seekers’ Allowance
• Carers’ Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credits
• Income Support

International Students

Statutory Sick Pay is not regarded as a ‘public fund’ for immigration purposes so it is possible for international students who meet the eligibility requirements to make a claim. Please note most other welfare benefits are regarded as ‘public funds’ and students on a Tier 4 visa or any other visa with a ‘no recourse to public funds’ or ‘no public funds’ condition should not submit a claim for them. Take a look at a list of public funds.

We should all be following government advice, staying in our houses unless we are leaving for the key essential reasons.  However, some of you may need to work.  The Careers and Placements and Work Experience Teams are able to help to identify and search for critical roles in response to Coronavirus (COVID 19.   You can access our free online careers service through our Careerlink portal where can find advice, articles, videos, tips for CVs and working from home and live chat allows students to talk directly with a careers adviser from 11-2pm every weekday.

For assistance with applications, CVs, covering letters, post graduate career options, career planning and general guidance please email: careers@roehampton.ac.uk. Our placements and work experience team are here to help you exploring work experience opportunities including volunteering, internships and part-time work, planning and searching for placements as part of your degree programme, simply email Internships@roehampton.ac.uk.  However, if you don’t need to work, then we wouldn’t encourage you to do so at this time.

Stay healthy, and stay safe. Remember to stay home, protect the NHS, wash your hands and save lives.