I am a mature student who decided to pursue education later in life. Like many others, I have taken out a student maintenance loan to support myself during my studies. However, the current policy of Universal Credit is making this journey more burdensome than it should be.

Universal Credit currently treats student maintenance loans as non-taxable income. This means that for every £1 received from the loan, £1 is deducted from the Universal Credit claim - taxable income is treated differently meaning only 55p for every £1 is deducted. 

Universal Credit need to recognise this income as the loan that it is. 

Furthermore, Universal Credit forces students to take out the maximum maintenance loan available or they treat their claim as if they have. This policy pushes people into deeper debt and increases the amount of interest they will have to pay back in future.

The current system feels like double punishment - once through deductions by Universal Credit and again when repaying Student Finance England.

This policy disproportionately affects mature students like me who are trying to better our lives through education but are penalised for doing so by an unfair system.

We need your help in urging policymakers to change this policy and treat student loans appropriately within the context of universal credit claims. It's time we stop penalising those seeking education and start supporting them instead.

Please sign this petition and stand with us in calling for fair treatment of student loans under Universal Credit.