ESA/student finance

Daughter unable to continue at college last year because of coping problems hopes to return to new course which is at uni level so eligible for student loan.

Appears she will be eligible for ESA if her long-delayed assessment is finalised soon as expected, she has been on minimal rate in the meantime. She receives PIP which is a requirement for ESA as a student.

On the face of it she would be eligible for a full student loan, living at home and driven to the college.

My Q is: is either or both of loan and (potential) ESA effected by the other and is it calculable?

Noting of course that even a minimal ESA award enables dental/medical access. Her ongoing prescription medication needed to cope day tp day obviously a concern if becomes payable.

Hello, I came across your message and was wondering if you have been able to obtain the information that your require.
Students in receipt of PIP are automatically entitled to ESA and are automatically placed in the WRAG group. However, they are still required to have face to face assessment carried out. If you daughter meets the criteria for the support group then she will receive extra ESA and be exempt from any work related activities.
ESA treat the student loan as income. They calculate the student loan over the number of weeks of the academic year, which is from September until June. This weekly figure that they arrive at is treated as weekly income and will be deducted from your daughters weekly amount of ESA entitlement. Your daughter could possibly be in a position where the student loan after being divided over the academic weeks could result in a higher figure than her ESA entitlement and result in zero ESA award.

However, should this be the case and entitlement is zero for ESA please remember to request dwp to keep your daughters ESA claim live as she will be able to claim during the summer months as loan is only calcualted for the academic year that she will be studying in: september until june. So, july and August no student loan would be deducted and she would receive ESA for those months. You would need to contact the dwp before the end of the academic year to advise them that loan is no longer applicable so that ESA will be re-instated for the summer period. They will not do this automatically.
ESA has no impact on Student loan.
If you daugher has disabilities she may be entitled to DSA, which can potentially help with the costs of computer, printer, paper allowance etc and travel.
If you daugher is over 25 then she would be able to claim as an independent student.
If you would like to ask me anything please feel free to do so.
Good luck!