child benefit/housing benefit help please

Oldernotwiser

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

What essential info? She has given you all the info that was needed for the query surely? The fact that she may live in Scotland is irrelevent. If she says her 17 year old son is doing an HNC then why would it not be believed....sorry, I just don't understand.

And yes, in Scotland we can start our FE from age of 16 (although norm is 17). Standard Grades are sat at age 16 (though I sat mines at 15 - all depends on your birthday and when you started P1) and Highers are sat the year after. It's not unusual for a 17 year old to be at college or Uni

I wasn't suggesting that the OP shouldn't be believed but people frequently make mistakes when they say what course or level their children are studying. There is also the question of people muddling FE and HE (as you have done - HNC is HE) as the funding is completely different for the two levels

Student funding (like so many other things) can be quite different in Scotland so it's always vital for people to say if they live there.

johnnysmum74

Hi again folks
I tried to reply earlier on but i lost my internet connection and so i lost my reply as well. I am glad now that i did.

Can i just say to anyone who might not believe what i have said ......My son has just turned 17, he IS doing an HNC, He left school after his exams finished in May 2009. He was one of the youngest in his year and yes i do live in scotland. Is any of that the ESSENTIAL information i apparently missed.

I was actually working today and unable to reply when the mention of essential information came on this forum.

Anyway onto what i actually came here for, after work today i phoned the tax credits again, it turns out i was given the wrong information and i am NOT supposed to b e getting ctc for my son. I had already queried this before and was told yes i was entitled to it up until he was 20, however today i phoned them and told them i had been on this site and explained about the housing benefit etc. The guy then told me i had been given wrong information, he wouldnt tell me who i spoke to or when i phoned them to inform them in the first place but he did say i should send in a complaint and all calls are recorded (heard that before right enough, when i complained before they apparently couldnt find what they were looking for) so this should be dealt with.

Not that thats a great comfort this far down the line but i will dispute it anyway and see what happens............thats going to be another overpayment no doubt.

I then came off the fone to them and foned the hb to tell them, this has been noted on their computer, i have now got to do a change of circ for the 3rd time and send in my new tax credit award notice when i get it.

I hope now anyone who needed more information has got it all, the next time please ask me outright if there is something i appear to have missed.

Thanks again for all information and extra thanks to Loopy, 7daywonder, sh, caz and vixie for their time.

I will come back when i know whats to happen next. Thanks again all.

Indie_Kid

You can only get child benefits up to the age of 20 for children in full-time non-advanced (ie, 6th form and below) education.

johnnysmum74

I know that now sh, pity they didnt get it right first time. Wish i had came on this website to check way back in september when he started college. Some of you know more than the benefits offices!