esa or child ben/ child tax please help advice needed

sad_dog_lady

my 18 nearly 19 yr old has autism, i have kept him on course in further ed as he is interested in doing some art courses and has real talent for art.

ok here is the problem..... do i now pop him on esa and organise his own benefits he gets dla anyway

or do i keep child benefit till he is 20 (april next yr) and child tax credit .....

he cant get any more College ema as he is nearly 19 and thats when it stops but because he is not able to do a level 2 course he can not have an adult learning grant or any weekly funds

i have the medical dr's certificate for the esa and i have child benifit letter ready to tell them his new september course.... what should i do?

oh yes iq is 79 so above learning disability and in longterm conditions

the college is not offering any advice as they still dont have a clue about funding and we may have to pay for his course anyway, but he is left with very little for his day to day bits and bobs .....

suelees1

Either you get the CTC and CHB or he gets EMA. Compare the different rates of payment. Also you really do need to check funding for college. Often courses are free for those in receipt of means tested benefits.

To claim EMA in youth (which is awarded as contribution based) he needs to have had limited capability for work for 196 days so you'd need a backdated sick note. Otherwise he can get ESA income related.

The rules for EMA are much more stringent than they used to be for incapacity benefit. He'll have to have a medical assessment and score 15 points from the various descriptors. As a result he might well be found not to have limited capability (in other words capable of work) and have to go through an appeal

It's for you to decide. You mention he has little to live on so if you continue to claim benefits for him as a dependant as an alternative to him claiming for himself then you should really be helping him out financially.

Indie_Kid

suelees1 wrote: »

Either you get the CTC and CHB or he gets EMA.

You're mixing up EMA & ESA - ESA replaces IB/IS and EMA is paid to those aged 16-19 who attend 6th form /college and whose parents are on a low income .

sad_dog_lady

obviosly all his clothing, food, cinema, entertainment & transport and accomadation needs are taken care of, what i dont do is pay for all his lego and computer games, thats what the ema did, i still dont know who to talk to, i think i could go the esa route but alec has severe ocd and wont touch anything without gloves, im just afraid that people will push him and make him depressed again. its a scary moment...... wish there was someone who i could ask.

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello,

My son is 19, and turns 20 in August.
As he is on a government approved training scheme, I can receive CTC for him until he is 20 in August.
With the Disability element of CTC, there is a financial gain of about £60 per week over him going on to ESA. He in in receipt of DLA HRC and LRM, which is paid to me, and then I look after his expenses.

To be able to receive CHB until he is 20, your son would need to be signed on to a course before hos 19th birthday. Unfortunately, I didn't get that bit right, and as my son's course finished in December, CHB stopped in March.

I have spoken to my local Job Centre plus regarding the change to ESA, and they have advised to only make the change when it becomes necessary.
My son would have real problems understanding the rules about JSA, like what work he would have to look for after x number of weeks, what he would have to apply for, and the distances to travel. This would also be considered as grounds for claiming ESA.

Regards
Munchie

Indie_Kid

munchings-n-crunchings wrote: »

My son would have real problems understanding the rules about JSA, like what work he would have to look for after x number of weeks, what he would have to apply for, and the distances to travel. This would also be considered as grounds for claiming ESA.

Regards
Munchie

He can get support for going back to work. I think the advisers can advise him on things like this.

munchings-n-crunchings

sh1305 wrote: »

He can get support for going back to work. I think the advisers can advise him on things like this.

I'm hoping my son can have 1 more year at college, as like the OP's son, he is also autistic, and communication skills are poor to say the least, and the building trade is neither shy or retiring. If he can be as well qualified as he can get, it will benefit him in the long run.

I just wish the access to disability advisers was easier. It took a week for me to get a ring back, and by then, I had more or less found my answers.

Regards
Munchie

suelees1

sh1305 wrote: »

You're mixing up EMA & ESA - ESA replaces IB/IS and EMA is paid to those aged 16-19 who attend 6th form /college and whose parents are on a low income .

Yes I did mean ESA. I'd not meant EMA at all even thoughI mentoned it several times...really sorry

SuziQ

As EMA is only £30 a week, why don't you give him that out the benefit you claim for him, as if he still gets EMA? That way he has the same budget as before with regards to the things he wants to buy and you know that there will be a limit to how much 'pocket money' (for want of a better name to call it) you give him. I also have an autistic son,and worry like you and munchy about what his life as an adult will be. This world can be a pretty unforgiving place for anyone who looks and acts a little differently. I hope you and Munchy's boys will do well and find positions that support them and help them to have even a little independance and feeling of worth.