- Evidence needs to be provided at the time you make your application. If you do not yet have the evidence required, you should wait to make your application until you have all the necessary documentation. If this is close to the EC deadline for your Term/Cohort, you should contact the EC Team for advice as a matter of urgency.
- Evidence needs to be in English. Where your evidence is not in English, you will be required to provide a translation either by an authorised notary/legal practitioner or by a third party (not a family member). The third party must provide their name, contact telephone number, email and relationship to yourself on the translation. They must consent to be contacted for verification purposes.
- Evidence provided should be relevant to the circumstances you are reporting and cover the period of time for which you are claiming.
- Evidence needs to be attributable to yourself and the source – examples of evidence we cannot/will not accept include: photos of injuries, photos of persons who have passed away, photos of yourself in a particular place or photos of the consequences of accident, domestic crisis or crime. The only exception to this is where the photographs you are providing are official police, emergency service or medical photographs clearly labelled with your personal details or a relevant crime number. Where such photographs may contain sensitive or distressing images, you must indicate this on your application. Where medical evidence, such as screen shots from the NHS app, does not contain your name please ensure you provide supplemental evidence such as a third party statement (see below). Official documents, especially digital versions, must be on headed paper, including the name, address and contact details of the organisation/official body.
- In some instances (see below) where it is accepted that formal evidence can be hard to obtain, we can accept a statement confirming your circumstances from someone who knows you and has knowledge of the situation. This is called a Third Party Statement. Where a third party statement is being provided this should, wherever possible, not be from a member of your immediate family. Third party confirmation will not usually be accepted from members of RHUL staff other than members of the Wellbeing team involved in your support through the circumstances. The person providing the statement must agree to be contacted by a member of the EC Team if necessary to verify the information.
- If you are only able to provide a Third-Party Statement to prove your circumstances, you must also provide the EC Committee with your own student statement, explaining why you are unable to provide any other official documentation to support your application. Third Party Statements on their own are only accepted where the reason for being unable to provide any other official documentation is clearly explained.
- A template for providing a third party statement is available here. You will need to ask the third party to complete it and return it to you to upload with your application by the appropriate deadline. We cannot receive statements directly to the EC team.
- Evidence can be uploaded in the following formats: Word, PDF, Image Files (JPEG or PNG). Our systems are unable to open HEIC image files (usually generated by newer iPhone models). If your file is an HEIC file please convert this to JPEG format before uploading.
- The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 100MB.
EXAMPLES OF ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE
Below you will find examples of acceptable evidence to support the most common circumstances affecting students:
Where possible medical evidence should be sought.
- If you interact with your GP via online services, please provide email confirmations or screen-shots of confirmation screens, copies of prescriptions - ensure the date of prescription is visible. Please ensure you name is visible on all screen shots so it can be attributed to you. Photos of prescription medication will only be accepted with your name/date of dispensing and dosage sticker clearly showing.
- Email/written confirmation of appointments, hospital discharge, diagnosis, treatment
- A fit to work/sick note from a GP
- To support your application, please provide any correspondence you have with the College regarding absence that is dated appropriately.
- Where you have a positive Covid-19 LFT result, that you are unable to register on the government website, we are unable to accept photographs of the LFT test strip. If you have used a test strip that can be registered you may provide the confirmation text/email as evidence, as long as your name and the date is clearly visible.
Where NONE of the above or other suitable evidence are possible to obtain and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party who cared for you/or observed you while unwell may be accepted – this should be submitted with your application using the template available here . Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
Medical evidence will need to be provided:
- Discharge notice from the hospital
- Prescriptions issued
- GP’s note confirming hospitalisation
- Follow up appointment confirmations
Medical evidence will need to be provided:
- Copy of appointment confirmation
- Hospital discharge notice
- GP’s confirmation of hospitalisation
- Follow up appointment confirmations
- The death certificate of the person who has passed away.
- Paperwork relating to the registering of a death or the management of their affairs (this should include/confirm the date of death).
- An order of service for a funeral/memorial/or other ritual to mark the death of a person – where possible showing the date of the event and/or death.
Where NONE of the above are possible to provide and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party confirming the death may be accepted – this should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Confirmation of diagnosis/flare up from a GP or mental health practitioner.
- A copy of a prescription (with appropriate dates)
- Confirmation for appointments for talking therapy, CBT, psychiatry treatments.
- Statement of Engagement from the College Wellbeing Services
Where NONE of the above are possible to provide and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party confirming the situation may be accepted. This should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Confirmation of your diagnosis
- Medical evidence of the flare up – GP letter, Consultant’s letter
- Details of medication in the form of a copy of your prescription, which should show the date and your name
Where NONE of the above are possible to provide and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party confirming the situation may be accepted. This should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Any documentation relating to the legal proceedings surrounding the family situation.
- Any documentation confirming the involvement of third parties in addressing the matter – Social Services, counselling or mediation services, etc.
- Confirmation of the situation of your close friend/partner or relative.
Where NONE of the above are possible to provide and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party confirming the situation may be accepted. This should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Medical evidence relating to the illness/condition of the person you need to care for. (See the list of suitable medical evidence in points 1, 2, 3 and 5 above.
- Documentation relating to their need for care
- Any other documentation relating to the circumstances
Where NONE of the above are possible to provide and you can explain why it is not possible to provide evidence, a statement from a third party confirming the situation may be accepted. This should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Copies of estimates for repair, insurance claims, police reports, major incident communications from local authorities etc.
- Confirmation of emergency repairs from contractors/landlords etc.
- Correspondence relating to issues of the behaviour of other residents at your property.
You will need to provide at least one of the following:
- Evidence of the problem that occurred – i.e. screenshots of error messages with time and date visible.
- Evidence of the actions you took at the time of submission to try to resolve the problems – i.e. emails/details of phone calls to your department/school and their confirmation that an Extenuating Circumstances application should be made.
- Where internet speeds are problematic, a screen-shot of a speed test (including date/time).
- Confirmation from your Internet Service Provider’s website of outages in your area on that date.
- Details of the delays (photographs of railway/bus departure board that clearly show date and time and level of disruption will be accepted).
- Screen-shots of details of the delay from travel providers apps/websites/direct communications.
- Details of car recovery/repairs clearly dated.
- Details of other routes sought/attempted.
- Medical evidence of any injury sustained
- Details of any disruption/delay/upset caused by the accident
- Incident forms from attending services
- Accident records from the location where the accident occurred. (In the UK, accidents occurring on the property of a business/organisation need to be recorded – a copy of this record will be suitable).
- Evidence of changes in circumstances
- Letter of support from services set up to assist with students facing financial hardship
- Medical evidence of any injury caused or evidence of residual / longer term trauma from a professional such as a Sexual Offences Liaison Officer / ISVA / mental health support worker.
- Crime reference number – clearly shown on an official documentation or communication provided by the police, along with the date of when the incident occurred. Please note, crime reference numbers on their own are not sufficient evidence and will not be accepted.
- The crime incident log from the police or any correspondence you have from them regarding the incident
- Witness statement from third parties (in the form of a third party statement). This should be submitted with your application using the template available here. Statements submitted without all the required information will not be accepted. The person writing the statement must indicate that they are available to be contacted by the EC Team for verification purposes.
- Details of your summons to attend
- Copies of the correspondence relating to your request to defer or be excused service including HMCS’s rejection of your application.
- A copy of your court summons
- Where you attend as a defendant and the case extends over more than one day, confirmation from legal counsel or the court clerk of the dates of attendance.
- Letter from an employer confirming the circumstances and dates (must be on official headed paper).