A:  In line with the government’s advice, on 6th July there was a slight lifting of the shielding requirements and from the 1st August shielding requirements will be paused. As you are still a group that is more at risk than others you are still advised to stay at home as much as possible, avoid unnecessary contact and stay 2 metres apart from those outside of your household/bubble. You still need to consider carefully your own personal health situation and the circumstances of your move and you may wish to seek medical advice before deciding whether to commit to go ahead with a move. The government has said people can move if it is safe to do so. You are also advised to discuss arrangements with the landlord/housing manager/agent, especially if you are moving into shared accommodation as the need to keep socially distanced might be much more difficult. Some moves are likely to be lower risk - for instance if the home is empty; if you can travel in your own transport; and avoid contact with others. You should also be sure that anywhere you move to has be adequately cleaned and prepared to minimise any additional risk. ;

We would encourage everyone in these categories who does intend to move, to make clear their status to all of the professionals involved in the process. They may be able to implement additional precautionary measures to further protect you. 

A: No. If you pose a direct risk of transmitting Covid-19 you should not move. People who have coronavirus or are self-isolating with their family members should not leave their homes to either move home, or undertake property viewings.

Even if you are contractually committed to moving home, you should delay your move until all members of your household have come to the end of their self-isolation period. All parties involved in the moving process are asked to make arrangements and to consider changing move dates for individuals, or where someone in a chain or their family member is self-isolating or has tested positive for coronavirus. If the dates are not able to be changed then the contract might have to commence without you moving in and you will still be liable for the rent.

Should a move be essential for people in this category, for instance due to an urgent health and safety risk, please contact Public Health England/local public health teams for advice.

A: The guidance is likely to change depending on whether the situation improves/deteriorates.  The current guidance hasn’t changed for a few weeks now.   Anyone who is clinically at risk after 1st August should consider their particular circumstances and risks around moving and if necessary seek medical advice.  If you or anyone you live with are self-isolating or have coronavirus, you should not move.  However you advised to continue to stay alert and socially distance wherever possible. 

In respect of Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO’s), or Halls, the practicalities of these situations are more complicated to manage. The process of finding and/or moving into a new home is likely to be different from the norm, as measures will need to be in place to ensure that the risk of the spread of coronavirus is reduced as far as possible. It is vital that everyonestays alert and safe.

In terms of moving in, students often move in much later than when their tenancy starts so the situation may have changed again before many student tenancies are due to start. Whenever your tenancy starts this needs to be managed very carefully. 

Make contact with the people managing your housing –whether that is the University, Private Hall Manager, Managing Agent, or Landlord –for guidance on how to proceed.  All those involved should give consideration on how or whether this can happen safely to reduce risk and consider anyone who may be at particular risk and need support. In these circumstances it is likely to require a case by case approach. If you are intending on living in shared accommodation this is particularly important. 

If you have been ill with the virus, have had symptoms, have self-isolated at any point before the move, then make this clear to all involved in the process.  

A: You are allowed to view properties. Ideally and normally we would always advise you to do this in person before making any commitment.  Practically this might be more difficult especially for groups of students wanting to live together. Consider if you all need to be there or go in smaller groups.?? It is advised:? 

• Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever possible. Any physical viewing should only be requested if you are seriously considering taking the property. 
• If any member of the household being viewed is showing symptoms or is self-isolating then physical viewings should not be conducted. 
• All physical viewings restricted in numbers to allow for social distancing. 
• If physically viewing, avoid touching surfaces, wash your hands regularly, take your own hand sanitizer. 
• If you really need to take small children, try to keep them from touching surfaces and ensure they wash their hands regularly. 

• The guidance on moving home has recently changed and this includes viewings.  Virtual viewings should be used before visiting a property in person.    
• If any agent, manager, member of either the household being viewed or the household undertaking a viewing is showing symptoms of coronavirus or is self-isolating, then a physical viewing should be delayed. 
• Agents with notice are able to visit in order to take photos/videos of the property whilst socially distancing.   
• Before any viewing open all internal doors and ensure surfaces, such as door handles, are cleaned after each viewing with standard household cleaning products. 
• You may want to open windows to improve ventilation. 
• Where possible vacate your property whilst viewings are taking place to minimize contact with those not in your household. If you cannot vacate practice social distancing in line with public health advice. 
• You may want to discuss determining the number of viewings in a given period with whoever is managing the property. 
• Ensure the person conducting the viewing has informed anyone coming into the house of what to do.  

A: Yes. You need to ensure you follow the government guidance on moving home and coronavirus and renting and approach cleaning/decontamination of non-health care settings as appropriate.   

If you are moving into new shared accommodation you can do so if this accommodation is going to be your permanent home. This will form your new household.   

Tenants’ safety should be a landlords/agents top priority and you may wish to discuss with them the risks any previous tenants may have posed and if any cleaning has been undertaken.   

You should still ensure you follow guidance on meeting people from outside of your household and follow the latest Coronavirus guidance, especially if you are sharing facilities or common areas.    

If this is moving into a Hall or block type accommodation you should discuss with the provider or manager in advance to see what measures they require/recommend to do so safely and minimize risk to yourself and anyone currently living in the hall/block. 

When moving between properties, you (and if relevant those in your household) should try to do as much of the packing yourself as you can. If you are particularly worried about the risk of infection, then speak to the professionals involved, your landlord and/or estate agent as they may be able to put in place extra measures.  

These are challenging times. Be prepared to be flexible and to change plans if circumstances change. If you, someone in your household, someone you intend to live with or someone in their household develops symptoms or has to self-isolate, plans will have to change. 

A: This is a very difficult question to answer as it depends on individual circumstances. We advise you to think very carefully before you do. We have seen throughout this crisis an expectation by students’ that rents and contracts should be waived because of the situation but this is simply not the case. If you want to sign a contract we advise you to discuss and agree on the terms very carefully. Flexibility clauses that would allow you to change your contract start date might be an option along with the ability to cancel should you not move in but these are not something you can demand.  

A: Letting agents may also want to consider obtaining landlord and tenant consent for inventory check-in /out arrangements to occur before a tenant moves in or out during vacant periods if possible. A copy of all documents should then be sent to the incoming/outgoing tenant for comment along with supporting dated photographs and where necessary documentary evidence. It is very important this process is not side-lined or missed entirely as deposits could be at risk.

A: Tenants’ safety should be Housing managers / Letting Agents’ and Landlords’ first priority. There is government guidance on coronavirus and renting which is helpful for landlords and tenants to be aware of, which explains protections in greater detail.  Any visits to a property must be made in accordance with governmentguidelines on working in other people’s homes and social distancing. 

Steps should be taken to ensure any properties are prepared ready for new tenants, this may include cleaning to minimize any potential spread of the virus in line with government advice. Standard documentation and processing for sign up and pre-tenancy should be done remotely/electronically wherever possible 

A: Sadly the Leave Newcastle Happy campaign is not able to run this year.  Newcastle City Council has re-opened their 3 Household Waste Recycling Centres?with measures in place :? 

• Brunswick - offer a one in one out arrangement 
• Walbottle - allow 5 cars in at once with 10 minutes to unload 
• Byker - allow 4 cars in at once with 10 minutes to unload  

Please visit the hyperlink for all instructions/restrictions that apply.  Visitors cannot use vans or trailers. Only one person is allowed out of the vehicle. Typically only one person in a car but there are exceptions and as a student with a parent driving that might be accepted, as long as only one person gets out the car inside the site. The student would have to show a bill or other statement with their name and Newcastle address on it along with a photo ID. Their student ID would suffice so with both of these they would be able to access the site. 

If people don’t have access to transport to get to waste/recycling centres but have excess waste that won’t fit or is unsuitable for the domestic bins, the bulky waste collection charges have been reduced by 25% in May. This paid for bulky waste collection service has a 25% discount in May. Find out more Newcastle council Bulky Waste Collections page. 

Any resident showing symptoms should not attempt to access a HWRC and follow Government guidelines on self isolation.  If you have rubbish from a household where someone is suspected of having had COVID19, please double bag potentially affected items, such as cloths, tissues, and masks, and leave for 72 hours before disposal in your green general waste bin or at a HWRC. 

Charity collections are still not taking place and recycling banks are still closed, so donating items for reuse is difficult. Please do not fly tip/abandon items in streets or back lanes as you could be fined. 

A. The government has provided stay at home guidance which specifically includes and easy-read guide on what to do if you or someone you live with starts to display symptoms or gets sick from Coronavirus.  You and any other housemates will need to self-isolate for 14 days. This guidance has been created in many different languages. For illustrative purposes they have also created an isolation illustration on how long you need to stay at home where someone has symptoms. The Coronavirus and renting guidance also advises on this.  You should also adhere to the decontamination of non-healthcare settings guidance.     

We are aware that many students have lost their part time jobs or other sources of income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Technically you have signed a contract and unless you have been allowed to surrender this you are required to make all payments as usual. Firstly contact your landlord, agent or provider to see what they suggest – they may reduce the payments and/or allow you to pay over a longer period. They might even consider reducing the tenancy term if they won’t release you. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, including living costs as a result of the current disruption, you may be eligible for support from the University’s Student Financial Support, often referred to as the Hardship Fund. The team are receiving a high number of applications but they aim to respond within 5 working days. If you don’t pay they may decide to pursue a legal route so it is always best to negotiate.

A. If they have their own mortgage commitments they might be able to apply to their own lender for a mortgage break or ‘holiday’ and the government intended for this flexibility to be passed onto tenants.  However  a mortgage break simply delays or extends the period over which the mortgage has to be paid.  It does not mean those months do not have to be paid at some point. All parties – that includes landlords and tenants or prospective tenants should not be disadvantaged by something outside of their control

A. No.  If you remain in your accommodation you are advised to notify your landlord/agent/housing provider. Follow any guidance or instructions you are given to stay safe in addition to safety guidance provided by the government and Public Health England (PHE).  Guidance has been released on the management of all residential educational settings. 

A. Withholding rent is a breach of contract.  In some circumstances in the current situation, this might be understandable and acceptable but it would depend on why you were withholding it.  If your finances are affected and you are unable to pay we suggest you discuss this with your landlord and seek advice on either how to optimise your income or seek out support.  Withholding rent just because of the situation would not be advisable.    

A. Possibly but probably not! It will depend on exactly what has been agreed/signed. If you are a prospective tenant and have viewed a house and paid a holding deposit but are yet to sign a tenancy agreement, you have effectively entered into a verbal commitment for the tenancy. Some may hold you to the tenancy until it is re-let, some will re-let the property and simply retain the holding deposit. Check your paperwork and speak to the landlord/agent to see what the position is. Either way please get what has been agreed in writing. You can still negotiate with your landlord to see if they will re-let the property but they do not have to. Also if they are not able to find a replacement tenant they may hold you to the contract.

A. No the deposit cannot be released until the tenancy ends, so unless your landlord is agreeing to a mutual surrender of the tenancy then the deposit must remain protected by the scheme and cannot be used as part payment or rent or to offset against rent arrears.

A. Firstly try not to panic. Before you decide to commit to a legally binding contract decide on whether you are definitely proceeding with the course regardless of how much face to face teaching may be on offer. You need to be aware the contract will remain intact regardless of whether you continue to occupy in the event of further lockdowns.

You may need to weigh up deciding not to commit to anything, maybe to save money as you can study online or commute for the limited face to face teaching against feeling you have missed out or feel less integrated should the restrictions be lifted later in the Academic year. This could be purely an assessment on risk if you are in a vulnerable category, or an economic or experience decision. Certainly the experience initially is not going to be the typical one. Newcastle is fortunate in that it has an excess of accommodation, so even if you leave it a while longer to see how things progress, you are likely to get something sorted. It just might not be what you had originally intended.

You should be shown the tenancy agreement before you pay a holding deposit/booking fee but in many cases this will not be offered. Be sure to request this first as once the deposit is paid you are contractually bound. We advise you to think carefully and check the Tenancy Agreement/T&C’s of any provider. You may wish to seek reassurance/flexibility about what happens in the event the course remains online or does not commence or you cannot move because the guidelines change again. We are aware some private hall providers are offering applicants ‘free cancellation’ options. However on closer look these are usually only in specific circumstances so are limited/restricted, so we advise you to be clear on what the commitment is.

You are advised to only conduct physical viewings of a property you are very strongly interested in and to adhere to guidance on doing these safely by following the ‘Viewings – section 2’ of the government guidance on moving home.

A. Yes UKCISA have provided a lot of information and support which can be found here.  If you have a specific housing question please contact the Student Advice Centre but please note we cannot advise on anything related to Immigration.  

A. The government updated the advice on home moving with a section on tradespeople being allowed into homes to undertake repairs, replacements, decoration and improvements. Visits to the property should only be undertaken if it is safe to do so. The updated guidance outlines what is expected of tradespeople and their requirements for working safely. 

Landlords, Agents, and accommodation providers and their employees and/or contractors must continue to take precautions where they are having to attend, with the government guidance for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19) in mind.  It will be important to ensure that Public Health England guidelines, including maintaining a two-metre distance from any household occupants, are followed to ensure everyone’s safety. Precautions might involve asking occupiers to leave or stay in another room whilst work is completed. 

Additionally, the government has provided information on repairs, maintenance and health and safety within Section 3 of the coronavirus and renting guidance. 

Landlords are legally required to ensure regular gas and electrical safety inspections are conducted and failure to do so could lead to them being prosecuted. They are required to provide relevant certification at the beginning of a tenancy and carry out all scheduled inspections and tests where required. If a Landlord cannot do this due to difficulties with access they must be able to demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to comply with the law. Guidance can be found on the Gas Safe Register and in the government guidance for Landlords and Tenants. 

A. You should definitely let them know. They need to know why you have left – whether this is virus related or something else and if you have left your belongings in the property and intend to return or if you have left for good and removed your belongings.

Your tenancy agreement might also have a clause stating a specified period of non-occupation where you are required to notify them so please refer to your agreement. If you are in shared housing you should indicate who has left/remains. This is important for a number of reasons; for health and safety, clarify on surrender or abandonment, for maintenance access and not least for security. There may be an increased risk of burglary with empty homes so if you have left your belongings make sure you are insured.

A. Speak to your Landlord, Agent or Accommodation provider in the first instance. In the case of Halls or blocks there may be specific requirements or arrangements for access/belongings retrieval.

If you can arrange to retrieve your belongings please continue to adhere to government guidance and ensure it is safe to do so. If you are unable to get back to Newcastle yourself, you might need to make alternative arrangements such as removal firms or storage which might take time to arrange or book and will have additional costs for you.

A. It depends.  Newcastle University advised students to return home if they could.  If you were living in University owned accommodation and you went home, removed your belongings, returned the keys and do not intend to return, you will not be charged from 29.3.20.  If you leave after this date you will only be charged up to the date you leave.  The University asks you to declare whether you are remaining in accommodation or you have left.  This link also provides more specific information on University Accommodation arrangements including information about payments and refunds.

If you live in student accommodation which is not owned by the University (even if they arranged it for you when you first applied) you will need to contact the Halls provider directly to see if they will release you from your contractual liability for the remainder of the contract term.  They do not have to do this and many will not. If they have not advised you to leave this is not an entitlement. 

We are aware of the following private halls which are allowing students to surrender their contracts for the third term after easter if they have left and moved out and do not intend to return during term 3.

Abodus

Chapter Living (London Campus)

Downing Students

GradPad (London campus)

IQ Students

Liberty Living

Unite Students

Student Roost

Check with your provider to find out if this is the case, but remember that they are not obliged to release a tenant. Each company has different deadlines to request this, check their websites for instruction on how to cancel.

A. Yes.

A. It’s not fair but lots of things are not fair.  Unfortunately nothing about this situation is fair or equal.  The University made this decision but they have no control over what other providers decide to do.  Landlords and providers are not required to act identically. If you decide not to pay, you or your guarantors run the risk of being pursued for that at some later point.  

A. In theory, for any breach of contract, yes.  The government has been clear that it expects landlords to be flexible with regards to situations that are caused by the virus outbreak.  They have now issued guidance for Landlords and Tenants on rents, possession and access. The Coronavirus Act 2020 temporarily requires most landlords to give you 3 months notice requesting possession.  This can only apply after a fixed term tenancy has ended.   Additionally any new or existing possession proceedings will be suspended until 24.8.20. These scenarios are rare in student accommodation anyway but whether there will be an increase because of what is happening, only time will tell. In all circumstances where possession is threatened or actioned seek advice immediately. This is explained further on the Shelter website      

A. If you have a contract you are liable for the rent.  If your landlord has not agreed to a surrender of the tenancy or a delayed/reduced rent payment then you could be pursued for the unpaid rent and breach of contract.  The maintenance loan is paid for you to pay for these types of outgoings.  

A. Since the restrictions have changed on movement you may well be able to move by the time your tenancy ends.  Please speak to your landlord and agent in the first instance. All parties are encouraged in the Government guidance to adapt and be flexible to alter their usual processes in respect of moving home. Currently, the guidance is to follow measures for staying alert and socially distancing whilst avoiding contact with anyone who is presenting symptoms, self-isolating, or shielding. Prioritising the health of individuals and the public must be everyone’s priority. For summer moves this will depend entirely on what the position is nearer the time and what Government guidance is at that point? It might require your tenancy to continue as a periodic tenancy. You can find more information about this on the Shelter web pages. We will endeavor to keep these pages updated.

A. Yes, students apply for their finance as normal. There will be however no need to swipe a smartcard for years 2 upwards as the online registration will be sufficient to release your loan. See link below for what is happening on campus once students do return to studies and the link to apply for finance. Student Finance, What's happening on Campus? .

A. Current students or those starting higher education in the Autumn needing a student loan can apply over the next few months. Assessment of income for maintenance loans is usually based on the student’s or their parent’s household income for the previous financial year, however can be based on current year earnings where there’s been an income drop of 15% or more. Those who’ve had a drop in income as a result of Coronavirus need to make the finance application as normal and then fill in the Current Year Income Assessment form separately. Students from Wales can apply here and students from England here.

A. Student Finance Support Fund (Hardship) applications already submitted are being fast-tracked. Larger emergency loans are being issued to those who apply if needed. They are paying out all the remaining bursaries, scholarships and scheduled payments in one go.  Here is the application form is you need to apply: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/student-financial-support/hardship/

A. Employee or zero hrs contract / agency worker who's not working? You're due 80% of salary up to £2,500/mth, but what counts as salary? Two weeks ago, the Govt announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which means employers can choose to put any staff who were on their payroll on 28 Feb on 'furlough' (standby), and the Govt will cover 80% of their salary up to £2,500/mth - firms can top it up to 100% but don't need to.

 

A. Yes the bills still have to be paid such as gas, electricity, water etc as these all have a standing charge for the service provision.  However these may be lower due to smaller usage within the property

A. As of yet the University Executive board has not decided what will happen to the 20/21 cohort in terms of registration for all years which is how the loan is released – we will update the page when we have more information.

A. Yes students still have to pay fees as teaching is still happening and the support staff are still working to help students i.e. Student Advice Centre – the link below has a statement on tuition fee refunds from UUK 20.4.20 : https://www.ncl.ac.uk/wellbeing/coronavirus-updatedinformation/support-for-students/#fees.

A. Unfortunately, most students (lone parents/disabled students have different rules) are excluded from claiming benefits. This means that, even if you have lost your job:
- You cannot claim Universal Credit and therefore;
- You should not claim the Universal Credit Advance Payment – it will become a debt you are expected to repay. 
Similarly, Legacy Benefits (such as Housing Benefit) cannot be claimed by most students and they cannot accept new claims anyway.

Student Lone Parents

Lone parents are able to claim Universal Credit (including an amount to help with Rent).

Student Couples

(Both Students)

You will only be able to claim Universal Credit if you have care of a Child.

(Only one is a student)

The non-student can claim for you as a couple.

Students with DLA/PIP

You can only claim Universal Credit if you also have Limited Capability for Work. Unfortunately, there is no easy route to be assessed for this in normal circumstances however, people who are infected or in self-isolation (i.e. have symptoms or live with someone who has) may automatically qualify. Current guidance is unclear on whether those who are classed as vulnerable will also be granted Limited Capability for Work automatically. 

Students who are suspended

If you have suspended your studies you generally still count as a Full Time Student and cannot claim Universal Credits.

If you suspended due to health or caring responsibilities and those responsibilities have come to an end, you can claim Universal Credit for up to twelve months while you wait for your course to start again.

Employment issues
Students are able to claim Statutory Sick Pay, but you do need to have at least £118/week “normal earnings” - This is calculated as an average or recent pay, not based on your contract. You must also be employed rather than self-employed.

We expect that your employer would be able to take advantage of new rules (“furloughing rules”) where the government will pay 80% of the worker’s salary while they are unable to work because the employer is closed or reduced.

Employers do not have to furlough staff that is their choice, so if your employer does not choose to do this, you cannot force them to.
 

A. If you believe that your study or ability to complete an assessment has been affected as a result of unforeseen and unavoidable personal extenuating circumstance, including COVID-19, you should complete the on-line PEC form accessible via your Student Self Service Portal (S3P). PECs relating to COVID-19 and all other health related issues will not require additional medical evidence due to high demand on medical services at present.  Please note that the request for extension or other adjustment to your assessment needs to be before the submission deadline. If you are submitting a PEC, try to include how your circumstances have directly impacted your studies.

A. The university has introduced a Safety Net Policy for taught UG and integrated Maters students. This means that you cannot be disadvantaged by your performance in your semester 2 of 2019-20 assessments. The Safety Net will therefore take all appropriate marks up to and including Semester 1 assessments in 2019-20 as being a secure measure of student attainment.  We will then calculate your individual ‘baseline average’ based on those marks and guarantee that each student’s end of current stage average is no lower than this. You will still need to pass your remaining modules for the Safety Net to apply at the end of the academic year. You can find how the university calculates your baseline average on the university FAQ page.

A. The University’s programmes are accredited by a wide range of professional accrediting bodies, and schools and the University have been liaising extensively with these professional regulatory bodies.  Several of these professional accrediting bodies have already confirmed that they are willing to consider supporting the type of measures the University has agreed to include in our Safety Net but some professional accrediting bodies have not yet confirmed their position, or have told us that this is not possible.  There are also some professional accrediting bodies who have yet to confirm either way, and we are continuing to work with those bodies to get confirmation of their stance on our Safety Net.

If you are studying an accredited programme, further details will be confirmed to you as soon as possible following discussion with the relevant accrediting bodies – this communication will be sent to you by your School.  Students on accredited programmes are asked to remember that these decisions are not in the University’s control, but the University will do what we can to act in your best interests.

A. The university has a dedicated email address for baseline average related questions: BaseLineAverage@newcastle.ac.uk.

A. You should expect to be assessed but no assessments/examinations will take place on campus. At present, you will not be required to return to the campus for any teaching or assessment before the end of this current academic year.

The university is working on alternative assessment formats and you will receive more information on this from your School in due course.

A. Yes, you can request to defer all Summer assessments to the August resit period, which has been extended by a week (17^th August- 4^th September). The decision to defer is therefore one with significant potential consequences and students are advised to consider carefully the implications before applying for a deferral, and to discuss any such decision with academic tutors, the Careers Service, family and friend.

You will also need to think about the following when making your decision:

• These ‘pre-approved’ deferral requests are only available if you are seeking to defer your first attempt for all your remaining assessments.  If you wish to request to defer some but not all assessments, you will need to submit a PEC form setting out your reason for making the request and each form will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the PEC committee.
• If you defer your first attempt to the August assessment period, you will undertake the same form of assessment as other students on your modules did in the Summer Term.  In order to ensure fairness for all students across a module we will not be reverting to the ‘normal’ type of assessment in the August assessment period.  In particular you should note that the University will not be conducting face-to-face invigilated examinations in the 2020 August assessment period.
• There will be no additional tuition for students if they elect to defer their assessments, moreover students are likely to find staff availability more limited at this time of year.
• If you defer all your assessments to the 2020 August assessment period, you will still be entitled to one resit for any failed modules in line with the University’s regulations and subject to any additional normal regulations for your specific programme.  If you are an undergraduate or integrated masters student and fail more than 20 credits you will be entitled to resit all failed modules, but you may be required to take a year out of your studies and undertake your resits as an external student during the 2020-21 academic year – this is in line with University regulations 2019-20.

You need to think very carefully about whether to request to defer all your assessments, taking all these issues and your own personal circumstances into account.