Sister left college...

Snook_2

Looking for some advice for my mum. My younger sister has recently left college as she decided she didn't like the course she was doing. She is also going to turn 18 in January.

My mum recieves child benefit, I think? and tax credits..this will stop now my sister has left college and/or when she turns 18 I assume?

Sister is unemployed though - as hard as she has been trying since leaving college to find work - my mum will be left with a big reduction in her income.

This may be a dumb question but is there no tax credits run on type thing? or anything my sister can do whilst looking for work so my mother would still be eligble for tax credits etc?

computershack

There is no tax credit run on if she leaves education. Your mother will not be eligble to claim tax credits for her as she is an adult. Neither will she get child benefit.

In short, your sister is going to have to find a way to make up the money which is going to be hard as she'll not get any JSA due to voluntarily leaving. She may want to consider eating humble pie and applying for factory work with the agencies.

Sharon87

computershack wrote: »

There is no tax credit run on if she leaves education. Your mother will not be eligble to claim tax credits for her as she is an adult. Neither will she get child benefit.

In short, your sister is going to have to find a way to make up the money which is going to be hard as she'll not get any JSA due to voluntarily leaving. She may want to consider eating humble pie and applying for factory work with the agencies.

She may be able to claim JSA as she left college, not a job voluntarily. As long as she has proof of leaving college (a letter from the college perhaps?) then she may be able to claim JSA.

Of course finding any job like factory work will be more beneficial for her situation and more money too.

bestpud

There is a 20 week run on for child tax credits and child benefits, but only until she reaches 18:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/Childbenefits/KeepingyourChildBenefituptodate/ChildBenefitafter16/DG_173719

She would need to register with connexions though. Hopefully she has only just left college?

Once she turns 18, she would need to claim JSA in her own right, and if your mum has any sense, she will take all but about £5 a week off her to help cover the shortfall.

Your mum will need to inform the council as well as tax credits and JCP. Don't assume they will pass the information between departments.

Oh, and she won't have a problem claiming JSA - it's not the same as leaving work.

Oldernotwiser

If your mother has been the only adult in the household up til now, she should remember that she will also lose her 25% council tax rebate.

It might have been a good idea for your sister to have taken these things into consideration before leaving her course but, unless there is any chance to change her mind about this, she will need to plan on paying most of her JSA towards her keep and taking any job she's offered in the New Year.