Youngest child left school

twiglet98

My youngest is 18 and did A levels this year, at the end of two years in 6th form. I rang the TCO and told them I have a letter saying Child Benefit for her will cease from 6 September, and I assumed CTC and all my (single-) parent related WTC would cease then as well. The advisor said it cannot include the summer holidays and must cease from her last day in 6th form.

Given that they have study leave before three weeks of exams, it is not a 'normal' summer term, so I gave the last day of term as her school leaving date.

I'm absolutely certain I have seen other threads here from people saying their last CTC ran until 31 August. Clearly I don't know how to play the system, and understand for the first time why telling the truth is a joke to so many.

I went from part time to full time as soon as I was free of the school run (we live out in the sticks and no bus). Now I am working over 50 hours a week (contracted 40, plus overtime) on a basic of £6.50/hour, and apparently this is SUCH a high wage I will no longer get any WTC. The advisor didn't do any calculations, just said she would input the details and I'll get a letter.

My ex husband is paying the mortgage but no other contribution. When DD18 does get a job, she cannot possibly earn enough, to pay me enough board, to even begin to make up the difference, and I have no idea how to keep afloat, but my question here is really about the weeks between the end of term and the end of Child Benefit, and why some people get CTC until 31 August but I can't?

(ETS I gave the last day of term as leaving date for my older two as well, I've only read the threads about CTC on here since they both left school).

kingfisherblue

Last year my daughter left sixth form and I contacted CTC in advance to let them know. They told me that I would receive CB and CTC until 31st August, but that I had to ring them in the first week in September to confirm that she had left. I did this and have had no problems at all.

I didn't play the system. I just told the truth and kept them informed. Maybe the advisor that spoke to you was wrong?

AnxiousMum

If your daughter was headed to college to do particular courses, then I believe your CTC/WTC may have continued. It's not about playing the system though, it's about telling the truth to the various agencies and getting what you are legally entitled to.

McKneff

Youre working full time with 10 hours overtime, ex husband paying the mortgage and you dont know how to keep afloat.:eek:

If your DD finds a job even at minimum wage, of course they will earn enough to pay you board money.

It seems you have quite a good income to me,

Do you have a lot of debt to pay off or something.

I really dont think you should expect any benefits if you have coming in what you say you have.

Maybe you need to learn how to manage it better.

Hammyman

McKneff wrote: »

Youre working full time with 10 hours overtime, ex husband paying the mortgage and you dont know how to keep afloat.:eek:

If your DD finds a job even at minimum wage, of course they will earn enough to pay you board money.

It seems you have quite a good income to me,

Do you have a lot of debt to pay off or something.

I really dont think you should expect any benefits if you have coming in what you say you have.

Maybe you need to learn how to manage it better.

Indeed. Some people just take the michael. Why should we pay off their debts or fund a lifestyle they can't afford?

Here's a clue - tell the child to get a job or sign on and pay board.

joanne_d_3

My own daughter has just finished in her FIFTH year at school so i dont know if the situation is different for you because your daughter is finishing SIXTH year , but all my child benefit and tc's were paid up until the 31st August .

Seems most of the people on the board who have a child leaving school have been paid up to the same date as me so i advise that you give tax credits another call just to make sure you have been given the correct info .

twiglet98

Thank you for your comments.

My query is that some board members had apparently received CTC until 31 August although their youngster's last term at school ended when they break up in July. I was told it could not be paid after the end of term and wanted to check that I had interpreted other parents' experience correctly. We're talking about another 6 weeks CTC which would surely be payable to all parents of this summer's school leavers, not just a lucky few.

Child Benefit, CTC, and WTC, together with the lone parent element, have been very helpful benefits which quite correctly end with her leaving further education. They add up to more than my daughter is likely to be able to pay in board so I expect my net income to reduce. I did not suggest anywhere that she would not be expecting to a) work or b) sign on for JSA, nor c) pay towards her keep out of whatever income she receives. Please don't be so quick to assume I am a scrounger for accepting the legitimate benefits offered to a working parent of a school age child - save the nasty digs for the idle and the liars who make excuses not to work. I'm neither lazy nor untruthful. Is it really necessary for Hammyman to accuse me of "expecting the state to pay off my debts"?

If I rented perhaps I could get the rent paid by the state, perhaps I'd get the Council Tax paid (elder two in their 20s live at home, work and pay board, so no discount), hey, perhaps I could work far fewer hours so more of my income could be from benefits, and less of it would be from working 10 or more hours a day, wouldn't that be lovely? Perhaps I could invent some vague condition that meant I couldn't be expected to work at all - but I'm not like that. I had months of horrible treatment for aggressive breast cancer and I had enough of being genuinely unwell then, thanks.

This isn't the way I imagined life would be 40 years after leaving school, that's for sure.

I'll ask the TCO why CTC is paid until 31 August for some parents, and rather wish I hadn't bothered to try and clarify the position on here, there just is no need to be spiteful.

in_spired2

My son left 6th form last year. His CTC ended when he finished. In fact, TC paid us until September (which was when the award form said his award finished - same time as CB finishing), but then told us we'd been overpaid for the weeks between leaving college and CB ending, so I had to repay. Just finished repaying this month

Hammyman

twiglet98 wrote: »

This isn't the way I imagined life would be 40 years after leaving school, that's for sure.

What...that as a grown adult you'd be expected to go earn a living to pay the bills?

40 years ago, TCs didn't even exist. Hell, for 3/4 of your life minimum wage and TC didn't exist so quite how you imagined working, having a house being provided for free and the State also giving you money to live beyond your means is beyond me.

and rather wish I hadn't bothered to try and clarify the position on here, there just is no need to be spiteful.

You brought it on yourself. What the hell did you expect when you thought you'd come on here whinging that you're badly done to because you've got a fulltime job with an £18,000 income , a free house and then expecting the rest of us to pay for ADULT CHILDREN WHO SHOULD BE PROVIDING FOR THEMSELVES for god knows how long?

twiglet98

Hammyman wrote: »

and then expecting the rest of us to pay for ADULT CHILDREN WHO SHOULD BE PROVIDING FOR THEMSELVES for god knows how long?

What on earth leads you to conclude I expect anything of the sort? My older two work full time and quite rightly cost the state nothing, and the school-leaver has an interview next week, meanwhile she is now costing the state (and you) nothing either. I'm a taxpayer too, you know, as are the rest of the family, and feel equally irritated at supporting the idle masses who refuse to work. However, I don't begrudge support for parents of school age children, and I have been grateful for it. You have come to some quite weird conclusions but if you didn't read the question, so be it.

Cessation of WTC, CTC and CB will mean a noticeable drop in income. It would be stupid to say I won't miss it - of course I will - and the threshold for WTC is close to my basic salary but I suppose I'm lucky to be earning even this quite low hourly rate. I prefer to do more overtime and earn more, than work less so I can claim more, but I certainly hope not to be hit with big expenses for car or house repairs for a while, which can be tough for anyone even if they're not adjusting to a lower budget.

If you have experience of being a parent of a school leaver then please do share it, the question was that I'd simply like to know whether most parents received CTC to the same date as CB, which is the end of the academic year on 31 August, or if most received it until the end of the school term, the last Friday in July.

Many thanks to the posters who addressed the question I asked and helpfully let me know what happened when their youngest left school. I guess some have been subject to incorrect information from the TCO but I wonder which were correct - I won't be able to ring them before the weekend.

bestpud

I have no idea so may be talking rubbish but has the date they turn 18 got anything to do with the cut off date?

Or is it whether or not they plan to continue their education?