Disabled Student Allowance

Find out about eligibility and how to claim Disabled Students Allowance.

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have adopted a harmonised approach to Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) ensuring that the students do not have to wait for any decision from the Research Councils (RC) before they can access funding to cover DSA.

The harmonised process is set out below:

• The decision on whether a student is eligible for DSA is now devolved to the Student Disability Services (SDS) at the host institution. The appropriate RC should be contacted if there is any doubt about whether the type of grant on which the student is supported is eligible for DSA
• The SDS will be responsible for the decision on the requirement for an Assessment of Needs without having to get the agreement of the appropriate Research Council. The Research Councils will meet the costs of such assessments
• The SDS will be able to determine the level of DSA to be provided to any student within the guidelines provided by the Research Councils - but please note that the Research Councils will NOT normally provide for book allowances, photocopying allowances, consumables or internet charges through DSA. Nor will we meet the costs of colorimetry testing or for the provision of tinted spectacles or lenses
• Once the SDS has determined the level of DSA required by each student they should be able to access funding immediately through the SDS
• The SDS will need to submit a single claim to the Shared Services Centre at UKRI Swindon to cover all DSA claims for each Research Council. This can be in the format of a single PDF with separate pages or files for each individual student. Only the claim form or PDF will be required to be submitted.  There is no need to submit the current application form or a copy of the Assessment of Needs
• The claim will have to be submitted towards the end of each academic year, in the period July-September, and should detail actual expenditure incurred in the academic year. The SDS will be able to make the claim through the JES system via a grant maintenance request per award annually
• The SDS will be required to retain copies of invoices/claims etc. which the Research Councils have the right to request or check as part of a Funding Assurance visit (See Audit)
• The Research Councils will reimburse the costs claimed for DSA as a single payment in the next available pay run
• Once the DSA costs are approved by the Research Councils the SDS will journal the agreed costs into the relevant funder account codes.