Changes to the Disabled Students Allowance

In February 2024, SFE and SFW changed how the Disabled Students' Allowance is administered.

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In February 2024, SFE and SFW changed how the Disabled Students' Allowance is administered.

Changes to the Disabled Students Allowance

How will the DSA changes affect me?

The DSA changes may affect you differently depending on whether you applied before or after 24 February 2024.  Below we have outlined the possible impact for you.

I applied for DSA after February 2024

RACEL can undertake Needs Assessments for students whose DSA is funded by a Research Council, the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), NHS, an Apprenticeship scheme or their Higher Education Provider. Should you wish to have your Needs Assessment at RACEL, please contact us at racel@uel.ac.uk

Since February 2024, RACEL is unable to undertake Needs Assessments for Student Finance England (SFE) or Student Finance Wales (SFW) DSA funded students.

I had my DSA in place before February 2024

In February 2024, SFE and SFW changed how the DSA is administered. If you are already in receipt of DSA and you do not require any adjustments, you do not need to take any action.

 

Updating my RACEL Needs Assessment

If you had your Needs Assessment at RACEL and require an update to your DSA award or have a DSA query, please contact us at racel@uel.ac.uk as we are continuing to support our students.

 

Closed Assessment Centres

Alternatively, if you are a registered UEL student and your Needs Assessment Centre has closed and require an update to your DSA award or have a DSA query, please contact us on racel@uel.ac.uk to discuss your next steps.

 

Review of Needs Assessment

If you previously had a Needs Assessment at RACEL, as an SFE or SFW student, and require a Review of Needs, this will be undertaken by either Capita or Study Tech. Your letter authorising your Review of Needs will advise you which supplier has been agreed by your funding body.

Your nominated supplier should proactively contact you, by email, with a link to register on their online booking platform. If you don’t receive this email, please refer to your DSA1 letter which will provide you with the suppliers contact details. If you are unsure about how to access your Review of Needs, please contact us at racel@uel.ac.uk

If your DSA1 letter is dated before the 26th February 2024, and you have not yet chosen a Needs Assessment Centre, you can look up your new allocated centre via the postcode look up tool.

New DSA application process

The new process ensures that a SFE and SFW DSA student will have a single point of contact for their Needs Assessment, assistive technology (AT) and AT training requirements, which will be coordinated and delivered by Study Tech or Capita.

 

How does the new process work

  • Students’ who apply for the DSA after February 2024 will continue to apply to SFE or SFW for DSA in the usual way, and they will continue to process students’ application and assess their eligibility.
  • Once a student is assessed as eligible for the DSA, SFE or SFW will assign the student to one of the two framework suppliers (Study Tech or Capita). This means the student no longer needs to go to the GOV.uk website to find their supplier.
    • If the student provides their consent, SFE or SFW will securely share their eligibility information, known as a DSA1, with the student’s new supplier.
  • The student will then be proactively contacted by their assigned supplier within 2 working days of their DSA1 being issued to book their Needs Assessment.
    • The student will receive an introductory message, in the format which the student specified to SFE, e.g., by email, text or phone.
    • This message will encourage the student to register on the suppliers online booking platform where they will begin the Needs Assessment booking process.
  • Students will still have to share their disability evidence with the assigned supplier when booking a Needs Assessment (this will change during Phase 2, which is to take place in autumn 2024, when there will be increased automation between SFE & the new suppliers).
  • Once the student has had their Needs Assessment, their Needs Assessment Report will be sent by their supplier to SFE within 5 working days of having their assessment. This will be reviewed by SFE, who will inform the student and supplier of the agreed recommendations via a DSA2 Entitlement Notification which will be issued by email.
    • The supplier will proactively contact the student to arrange delivery of their assistive technology, rather than the student having to contact the supplier.
    • The student will be able to consider delivery options for their equipment, schedule their AT training and pay any financial contribution via the suppliers’ online platform.
    • Please note: The student will still be able to pay their supplier to upgrade their computer.
  • The supplier will be responsible for the installation, set-up and familiarisation of the student’s equipment and software, and any Assistive Technology training as required.
  • If Non-Medical Helpers such as mentoring or one-to-one study skills is recommended, the student will still need to contact these suppliers separately to put their support in place, as NMH is not included in the new DSA Framework. The same applies to taxis.
  • If you require advice about SFE and SFW’s DSA process, please contact us via email racel@uel.ac.uk

Contact us

If you would like to book a Needs Assessment or have a query about your DSA support, please contact us.

Related pages

  • FAQs and useful links

    Answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the DSA are detailed on our website. There are also useful links related to the DSA.

  • Disabled Students’ Allowance

    DSA contributes towards the additional costs which you may incur during your course, due to your disability or Specific Learning Difference. The DSA is not a loan and does not need to be paid back.

  • Regional Access Centre East London

    At the Regional Access Centre East London (RACEL) we undertake Study Needs Assessments for home students who have been made eligible for the Disabled Students’ Allowance through select funding bodies.