UoL and LJMU among universities facing legal claims from students over COVID-19 disruption

Two of Liverpool’s biggest universities are facing potential legal action over disruption caused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University are amongst a list of 36 UK universities currently under fire from the Student Group Claim, the organisation pushing for nationwide compensation.

More than 170,000 current and former students across England and Wales are taking part in the action, arguing they did not receive the education and campus experience they paid for when courses were moved online and facilities were closed.

Students described how they paid for in-person teaching but received a lower value experience, and claims could be worth thousands of pounds per student.

Legal action argues students should be compensated

Over 170,000 students have joined the Student Group Claim, the organisation representing those whose studies were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group’s point is that people paid unis for in-person teaching, plus access to facilities such as libraries, labs or studios.

Their website argues: “Universities breached their contracts with students from 2018 onwards, in response to strikes and then Covid-19… Students can claim financial compensation for these breaches of contract.”

The Student Group Claim previously orchestrated a settlement with University College London (UCL) and have since sent out pre-action letters to universities across the country, warning them the group is seeking compensation for students from particular academic years.

The University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University have both received a pre-action letter.

This means that certain students from both of these universities may be entitled to compensation if they experienced disruption to their studies during specific periods.

The group is operating under the claim that online degrees typically cost between 25 and 30 per cent less than in-person courses. Subsequently, Student Group Claim is referring to English consumer law, arguing that if a consumer pays for one service and receives a service of a lower value, they are entitled to compensation.

They’re arguing that students shouldn’t have paid the same amount for their degrees if lectures were online, and they couldn’t use certain on campus facilities.

Lawyers involved in the case have previously said individual students could receive up to £5,000 each if claims are successful.

UoL and LJMU are part of a national legal case

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The University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University are listed alongside universities including Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff and Newcastle as part of the group that has received pre-action claim letters.

More universities could be added before the deadline for students to join the claim in September 2026.

Students involved in the wider case say the move to online learning affected both their education and their future careers.

One student, Georgia Johnson, told the BBC that learning to teach over Zoom had been “frustrating” and had delayed her career.

Georgia graduated from the University of Manchester, gaining a teacher training qualification in 2020. Explaining that she did not feel confident working as a teacher, Georgia said: “I had to do a lot of my own professional development so that I felt ready. I just didn’t feel confident and I felt really anxious about going into the classroom.”

“I just feel really let down the whole time, you spend a lot of money for a degree.”

The legal team argues that many students took on large loans for what they expected to be a full university experience.

Universities UK, which represents higher education institutions, said universities had followed government guidance at the time and adapted quickly to allow students to complete their degrees.

It said that during lockdown periods, in person teaching was not permitted and institutions had to move learning online.

The organisation also said many universities had already provided routes for students to seek refunds or compensation through existing complaints processes.

It is not yet clear how many students are involved in the claim but if successful, the legal action could have major financial implications for universities across the UK, depending on how many students take part.

The University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University have both been contacted for comment.

Featured image via Canva.