You may have seen it advertised on social media but not thought much of it. Or, you could have been curious but were sceptical about whether it was legitimate or not. To satiate your intrigue, we look into what the student group claim is and what the potential university COVID compensation means.
Maybe you’ve heard friends talking about it, or seen it on social media; you could have even read a bit about it somewhere else. The Student Group Claim has been doing the rounds, encouraging those who attended university during the pandemic to sign up and who could be owed compensation. It sounds a little too good to be true, so we wouldn’t be surprised if you were sceptical. If you’ve been curious but haven’t known enough, then we can explain what the Student Group Claim is.
What Is The Student Group Glaim?
The Student Group Claim is a legal group claim that brings student cases from around the UK and the EU together in the hopes of seeking compensation for strikes or COVID disruption from 2017-2022.
The claim is handled by two firms, Asserson Law Office and Harcus Parker Limited, who are working together to represent the claimants seeking compensation. The case is against universities, who the firms believe broke their contracts with students and could not deliver services that students signed up to.
The Student Group Claim will only be pursued if enough students sign up, however, it is reported that tens of thousands of students have already done so.
The claim is also no win no fee. This means that if it is unsuccessful then the students involved won’t have to pay legal fees. If compensation is granted, then students who signed up with pay 35 per cent of the money received to their lawyers. However, within the terms and conditions there are some clauses that certain payment may still need to be paid even if the case is lost.
Is The Student COVID Compensation Legitimate?
Both Asserson and Harcus Parker have LinkedIn pages, professional websites and reviews on Google. Therefore, the firms in charge of the Student Group Claim are real lawyers with experience in the business.
With that information, it’s safe to presume that the claim itself is legitimate. Clearly aware of how it may look, they address this on the website, hoping to reassure students:
“These group claims are real and are being organised by two well-regarded, experienced law firms. Group claims like this are becoming a fairly common occurrence and often succeed.”
Additionally, no one who signs up pays any money upfront. Money will only be taken if the claim is successful and the site makes it clear that this is a 35 per cent rate. So, it would be a useless prank when neither firm can gain anything from it. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is free though; students who sign up only don’t pay if the claim is unsuccessful and may still have to pay some fees listed in the terms and conditions regardless.
It is worth noting that neither firm have glowing reviews on Google. They have an average of 3/3.5 stars out of 5 each. However, Asserson only has 6 reviews, with the most recent having 5 stars. This also doesn’t mean that the claim isn’t legitimate.
How To Sign Up For University Covid Compensation
If you’ve heard enough, read all the terms and conditions and think you’ve got a claim, then signing up is super easy.
On the Student Group Claim website, click the ‘Join The Claim’ button in the top right-hand corner.
After that, you’ll be redirected to a page where you answer a few questions and when and where you attended university and your fee-paying status. You’ll then need to agree to the terms and conditions before proceeding.
Next, you’ll answer more specific questions about your university experiences and fee-paying status, before entering your personal details. One of the boxes is your student email address; don’t worry if you’re not a student anymore, it just verifies that you were a student.
After that, it’s just a case of submitting your claim! You’ll receive an email shortly after which will contain confidential information. It will also confirm that you will be sent updates on the case. Then, it’s just a case of waiting to see what comes of the claim.
Legal cases aren’t quick. All the cases need to be gathered and then go through the courts. So, whilst this is a step in the right direction for students whose education has suffered, it will take some time.