Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that higher education institutions are fulfilling their obligation to support students who would previously have been supported by Bands 1 and 2 of the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Higher Education Providers (HEPs) are responsible for providing reasonable adjustments for disabled students under the Equality Act 2010, and since September 2016 expected to deliver, as reasonable adjustments, less specialist non-medical help (NMH) previously funded through Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) NMH Bands 1 and 2.

The government expects all HEPs to meet their Equality Act responsibilities and to be making reasonable adjustments for all disabled students, not just those in receipt of DSAs. HEPs are entirely responsible for ensuring the support they offer disabled students meets any legal requirements to which they are subject.

Students who enter into dispute with their HEP over the support provided by their HEP as a recommended reasonable adjustment have access to the Exceptional Case Process, which provides interim funding to support DSAs-eligible students whilst the dispute is being resolved.