Thanks for the support and suggestion, Shani . I will have to think about that one. If I could get a firm commitment of final year funding, then they might go for it, but they certainly seem very inflexible generally. I will also look for a different source of funding for a research masters, but I don't hold out much hope for this.
Otherwise, I have to try to prove that I hold equivalent qualifications to the research masters. Possibly I may do in terms of employment experience, well almost, but ESRC regulations say "qualifications", which implies "officially recognised and assessed academic qualifications", or does it?
Logic would suggest a body that funds such a complex subject area as the social sciences should have less simplistic policies than this. But isn't life so full of these contradictions!