Hopefully someone may know something on this as google is drawing a blank!
I'm disabled, I currently get ESA support group and PIP both parts enhanced, which lead to me getting HB. Not at all how I want to live but far too ill to work. I'm stagnating, unable to go out, no social life, lonely. I used to study with the OU a few years back and I'm thinking of maybe continuing but this is where I hit a wall. I'd need to claim tuition fee loans but I'd be living where I am now so no living cost loans or grants or anything. I've spoken at length with OU and they offer lots of support for disabled students which would really help such as phone rather than face-to-face tutorials and doing exams at home with support.
I'm worried that this would mean I would lose disability benefits. The course would be part time as OU is only part time, completely done at home. I can't find any info whether DWP would see being able to study 16 hours a week (at home, lying down as I struggle to sit, using laptop only as I can't use a pen so not living the life of riley) as being able to work part or full time. I would definitely declare to DWP that I was studying, not trying to get it under the radar.
All the info I find online is either out of date or about full time brick-uni students. Does anyone know where I could get advice? I'm worried even asking DWP or ATOS about it will be put on my file and lead to me losing ESA.
I just want a reason to get out of bed each day.