Idon’t think I need to reiterate here that there are plenty of students who are in an economically precarious position, and need help with essential costs.
The Cost of Living tag on the site is one way to (re)familiarise with the dire position they’re in, and the lack of support that’s been forthcoming from government.
But as well as examining the support that universities can offer, the lack of help from the Department for Education (DfE) and the astonishing deletion of students from the consciousness of BEIS around the corner in Whitehall, we’ve not really touched on local authorities.
And they do have a role to play. Back in September 2021, just as we were crawling out of the worst ravages of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak (then Chancellor), and Thérèse Coffey (then work and pensions secretary) launched a £500m support package for vulnerable households over that winter – and it was to be disbursed by local authorities (specifically via county councils and unitary authorities).
