Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many assessments for disabled students’ allowance (DSA) were carried out by an independent needs assessor in each year since 2009-10; what the average such award was in each of those years; and who was contracted to carry out each of those assessments in each of those years.
Joseph Johnson
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) are available to help pay the extra essential costs they may have whilst studying on an HE course as a direct result of their disability. The Government recently announced reforms to DSAs to ensure that the limited public funding available for DSAs is targeted in the best way and to achieve value for money, whilst ensuring those disabled students most in need continue to get the help they require. The changes also aim to ensure that Higher Education providers all properly adhere to their Equalities Act 2010 duties, for the benefit of all disabled students.
All disabled higher education students who are eligible for DSAs are referred to an independent assessment centre so as to identify the type and level of support they require.
Information in Table 1 sets out the number of study needs assessments carried out by independent assessment centres in England and Wales for English domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate higher education students applying for Student Finance England administered DSAs. Information for numbers of assessments carried out by each assessment centre is not held centrally. Information is not available at individual assessor level. Information for the period prior to 1 April 2011 is not held centrally.
Table 2 sets out the average award of DSAs in each financial year. A list of currently accredited assessment centres is below.
Government does not contract with assessment centres. Assessment centres who wish to work in this area are accredited through the DSA Quality Assurance Group, a not-for-profit membership organisation.
Table 1 –
|
Timeframe |
Number of assessments |
|
1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014 |
34,355 |
|
1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013 |
32,410 |
|
1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012 |
35,073 |
Source: DSA Quality Assurance Group management information. Information for the period 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015 will be available in April 2016.
Table 2 –
Average DSA payments to full-time English domiciled students
Academic years 2009/10 to 2013/14
|
Academic year |
Average payment (£)
|
|
2009/10 |
2,110 |
|
2010/11 |
2,300 |
|
2011/12 |
2,350 |
|
2012/13 |
2,250 |
|
2013/14 |
2,230 |
Source: SLC, Student Support for Higher Education in England
Note: 2013/14 final figures are the latest available
List of assessment centres in England and Wales
AbilityNet DSA Assessment Centre
Access 1st Assessment Centre
Access Birmingham Assessment Centre
Access Bristol Assessment Centre
Access Central Ltd
Access Centre Coventry
Access Centre Ealing
Access Centre Hereford
Access Independence Ltd
Access South West
Access SUMMIT
Access West of England
Access@SW15
Action for Blind People Pan Disability Assessment Centre
Aim Assessments
Anglia Access Centre
Assessment Centre Cardiff
Assessment Centre Cardiff Metropolitan University
Assessment Centre on Teesside
ATOP Chester
Bangor Access Centre
Bradford Assessment Centre
Bridgend Assessment Centre
Broadbent & Co
Cambridge Access Centre
Carmarthenshire Access Centre
Central London Assessment Services
Cheltenham Assessment Centre
Durham University Assessment Centre
Exeter Access Centre
Glyndwr University Assessment Centre
Hertfordshire Access Centre
Higher York Access Centre
Hull Assessment Centre
IONA – Kent and SE Assessment Centre
Kent Assessors
Kingston Assessment Services
Lancaster University Assessment Centre
Leeds Assessment Centre
Leeds Metropolitan Disability Assessment Centre
Leicester Assessment Centre
Lincoln Assessment Centre
Lincoln University Assessment Centre
Loughborough Regional Assessment Centre
Maritime Assessment Centre
Midlands Assessment Centre
Needs Assessment Centre
Newport Assessment Centre
North East Regional Assessment Centre
North London Regional Assessment Centre
Nottingham Trent University Access Centre
Nottingham University Access Centre
Open University Access Centre
Oxford Access Centre
Oxford University Assessment Centre
Pennine Lancashire Access Centre
Plymouth Assessment Centre
Portsmouth Assessment Centre
Reading Assessment Centre
Regional Access Centre East London
Sheffield Regional Assessment Centre
South London Access Centre
Southampton Assessment and Study Services
Staffordshire Regional Access Centre
Surrey Assessment Centre
Sussex Regional Access Centre
Swansea Assessment and Training Centre
Taunton Assessment Centre
Technical Assessment and Support Centre
University Centre for Assessments Newcastle
University of Derby Assessment Centre
Wessex Needs Assessment Centre
West London Assessment Centre
Wolverhampton Assessment Centre
