Janet Dean MP has urged ministers to look urgently at changing the regulations which prevent students, who have to temporarily suspend their courses because of serious ill health, from getting benefits. Janet has been calling for a change in the law following the case of Burton student Melissa Leech, who died in 2008. Melissa, who suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was refused income support in 2007 because she was deemed to have income from her student loan.

Describing the current rules as “unfair and indeed immoral” Janet said that the Government had acted to allow students who completely abandon their course to get help, but not those who wanted to suspend it and have the hope of continuing their studies when they recover.
Janet was supported in the debate by James Plaskitt MP, who was the Minister in 2008 when Janet first raised the matter.

The current Department of Work and Pensions Minister, Helen Goodman, promised to seek help from medical experts to set clear criteria for a change in the rules and to consult with student bodies.  She said that she understood the unfairness and continued,

“I want to be sure that if we make a change we get it absolutely right, and avoid in future the kind of distress caused in Melissa Leech's case.”

Janet said,

“I welcome the Minister’s commitment and I will be following this debate up with written Questions to the  Minister to make sure it does not fall under the radar. I want to see this change in place before I leave Parliament. As I said in the debate, serious ill health is difficult to cope with at any age, but for young people and their families it is particularly tragic. It is bad enough coping with the stress of diagnosis and treatment without the added pressure of the unfairness of the benefits system for students. All Departments now accept that unfairness.”

All those who spoke in the debate paid tribute to Ian Leech, Melissa’s father, who has campaigned tirelessly for a change for students in Melissa’s situation.

13.1.2010


Further information

Read the full debate at:
 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100112/debtext/100112-0020.htm#100112103000001