16 Year Old & Income Support

fozziebeartoo

Can anyone advise me?

16 year old is estranged from his widowed mother, she moved in with boyfriend, no room for him, his child benefit has stopped.

He is now living with me and my family - getting no support or money from his family.

Not any relation to us.......we are just trying to keep him off the streets.

He is applying for jobs, apprenticeships etc so actively seeking work.

We feed him and put a roof over his head, but cannot afford to keep paying his bus fares to interviews etc or buy clothes etc.

We are NOT looking for rent or keep for him.

We have an A1 to see if he can claim Income Support until he gets a job or similar.

Also have a "questionnaire for under 21 year olds claiming income support" and that's where I need help........

A question regarding US says "do they provide you with Supervision, Financial, Social, Discipline, Moral and other Care and Guidance?"

Mmmmmmmm.........if we DO, will they say we should be classed as "guardians" or similar and try and claim Child benefit and be responsible for him?

We like him and are doing our best for him......but we don't want another dependant child!!

I feel like it's a Catch 22 sort of question and he'll be damned if we say yes and damned if we don't :mad:

Any thoughts on how to approach this?

He's a 16 year old, living with relative strangers and we are just trying to help him have a little money to pay for fares to interviews, new shoes etc.

We are definitely not wanting him to be a lodger and charge rent or keep or anything like that.

DX2

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

Mmmmmmmm.........if we DO, will they say we should be classed as "guardians" or similar and try and claim Child benefit and be responsible for him?

We like him and are doing our best for him......but we don't want another dependant child!!

I feel like it's a Catch 22 sort of question and he'll be damned if we say yes and damned if we don't :mad:

Any thoughts on how to approach this?

He's a 16 year old, living with relative strangers and we are just trying to help him have a little money to pay for fares to interviews, new shoes etc.

We are definitely not wanting him to be a lodger and charge rent or keep or anything like that.

You can't claim Child benefit if the child isn't in education problem solved

fozziebeartoo

DX2 wrote: »

You can't claim Child benefit if the child isn't in education problem solved

Thanks for the response but it's not quite that straight forward.

At the moment he is in his extended CHB period, so if he was living with his mother, she would still (just) be entlitled to it for another few months after he left education and Jobcentre+ say that US claiming CHB and tax credits might an alternative to HIM getting Income Support.

If a child leaves full time education but doesn't find work or start a course, Child Benefit can still be paid after they leave education, as can Tax Credits.......it's for a specific number of weeks and for summer school leavers, it runs out towards the end of November of the same year.

But you have to formally apply, it doesn't happen just happen.

DX2

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

Thanks for the response but it's not quite that straight forward.

At the moment he is in his extended CHB period, so if he was living with his mother, she would still (just) be entlitled to it for another few months after he left education and Jobcentre+ say that US claiming CHB and tax credits might an alternative to HIM getting Income Support.

If a child leaves full time education but doesn't find work or start a course, Child Benefit can still be paid after they leave education, as can Tax Credits.......it's for a specific number of weeks and for summer school leavers, it runs out towards the end of November of the same year.

But you have to formally apply, it doesn't happen just happen.

Child Benefit extension period
Child Benefit can continue to be paid for up to 20 weeks from the date the young person leaves full-time further education or approved training if the young person:

• is under age 18
• they have registered for work, education or training with the Careers Service, or Connexions Service (in Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment and Learning or an Education and Library Board),or any corresponding body in another European Union member state
• they have applied to join the armed forces and are awaiting placement from the Ministry of Defence
• they are not working for 24 hours or more a week for which payment is received or expected
• the extension period for that person has not expired
• immediately before the extension period begins the customer was entitled to Child Benefit for the young person
• the customer has made a written request for the extension within three months of the end of education or training

Registration for training with the training provider does not qualify a young person for the extension of Child Benefit. They must also be registered for work, education or training with the Department for Employment and Learning or an Education and Library Board.
We can pay Child Benefit from the Monday following the end of their full-time education or training.

bestpud

Put 'no'. If you don't provide it then you don't provide it, simple as! Don't lie.

He will struggle to receive income support if he has not been accepted onto a course though.

If he is due to start a course/apprenticehip in September, they will pay him IS until he starts, but they are very reluctant to pay it in other circumstances.

Do you have a local Foyer or equivalent? http://www.foyer.net/

They will usually know all the relevent local information and can be very helpful in these circumstances.

pinkbabe

He needs to contact Connexions..... I would suggest he goes in to see them if you can accomp him then do so..... The Connexions advisor will then call the Jobcentre Contact Centre who will take the details from this young person and advise him that the under 18's advisor from the jobcentre will call him to make an appointment for him to attend the jobcentre who will then process a claim which will be for JSA.... it is then up to the DM whether he gets any money.

FidoDido

He can claim Job Seekers Allowance.
Normally, you have to be 18 to do this but he CAN claim it , providing he first registers at the Careers / Connexions office first.
Then he takes his JSA form to the Jobcentreplus office.
It's okay if you are not his parents, that does not matter at all.
He will be required to call in at both Connexions and the Jobcentre once a fortnight to show his efforts to find a job or training or college course, etc.

NASA_2

JSA would be more appropriate than IS.

JSA will try to get him into training.

von

He can't claim JSA until 20 weeks after he left full time education as he is still within the Child Benefit Exrension Period, on what date did he leave full time education?

lynzpower

You should also speak to your local children & families social work department to see if you would be classed as an informal carer, and have an assessment. They may be able to make suporting payments for you from S17 funding, as a child in need. Indeed you shoud be assessed to, to ensure you are not exploitative psychos not saying you are of course!

Oldernotwiser

lynzpower wrote: »

You should also speak to your local children & families social work department to see if you would be classed as an informal carer, and have an assessment. They may be able to make suporting payments for you from S17 funding, as a child in need.

I thought that this was exactly the sort of responsibility that the OP was trying to avoid? (Quite understandably.)