What happens to CTC CB HB CTB when child turns 16?

dktreesea

What happens to the various benefits/tax credits if your dependent child turns 16, and wants to leave school but can't get into a college course?

Apparently 16 and 17 year olds don't get JSA except under exceptional circumstances. But once they turn 16, if they are not in education - indeed, can't get a place on a course - and can't get a job, how do they support themselves? If their parents are low income, so getting WTC, CB, CTC and HB for them, it seems if they become NEET the proportion paid for them stops the September after they turn 16. Have I got this right?

Also, it seems because they live at home they couldn't get HB anyway. It seems to me this could be quite a shortfall in income. How do families cope when they could suddenly have a drop in income of over £100 a week, if you include the proportion of HB and CTC attributable to the 16 year old, but still have that 16 year old to support?

Is there a difference if the parents are on income support as opposed to just being the working poor, getting some WTC?

Can anyone point me in the direction of a government publication online which addresses this situation?

pauletruth

why dont they stay on at school. if they are over 16 and not in education they get nowt. in further education but not higher they keep their benifits.

Digbysmum

That's not the answer to the question Pauletruth. I found myself in a similar situation, my son wanted to leave school and get an apprenticeship, he secure a company willing to offer him one but before he had time to begin the company went into liquidation. This left my son out of work at 16 and he was unable to find another company to offer to take him on as they had already sorted out their apprenticeships and the college course linked to the vocation.

However, I was able to continue to claim my child benefit and child tax credits until he found work, which likely he now has.

First call should be CTC then CB.

Dunroamin

Amazing that parents are more worried about their money than the fact that their child is dropping out of education!

MrsManda

As Digsbymum said, it is possible to claim CTC and CB even if they're classed as NEET. The details on which circumstances this applies to can be found on the direct.gov.uk website here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCredits/Keepingyourtaxcreditsuptodate/Changesthataffectyourtaxcredits/Familychanges/DG_172979

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ChildBenefitandChildTrustFund/Childbenefits/KeepingyourChildBenefituptodate/ChildBenefitafter16/DG_073812

lazyman72

Point your son in the direction of your local connexions they will guide him to local colleges that have apprenticeship courses or foundation learning courses for post 16 year olds.

Foudation Learning courses are for 16 to 18 year olds that did not get sufficient grades in their GCSE's so can better there qualifications and will mean your son will not be NEET and in education meaning you still qualify for CB, TC etc.

Apprenticeship courses will mean your son will be employed by the company (connexions can help with this and point you to providers that supply these) which will mean that you will no longer qualify for CB, TC etc but he will earn a wage of around £100.00 per week.

Hope he finds something suitable quickly.

jellyhead

I've been sent a leaflet about child benefit, and it mentions that young people can still get child benefit in certain circumstances such as registering with the connexions service.

The college has a poster up about a course for young people who weren't doing anything because they chose the wrong course for them, etc. and it looked like a general 'improve your skills and see what else you might fancy studying' sort of course.

I assume they could also retake their GCSEs? I saw something about GCSE courses starting in the January, so those would be good for kids who were doing nothing in September or had dropped out of other courses, apprenticeships etc.

pauletruth

i hope you son gets on a course. but please don't let him leave theeducation system. do a national cert in the area he is intrested in. my daughter tried for 2 years toget on a modern apprenticecource as a electrician but no luck so she did a marine engeneering national cert and is now doing a hndin electrical engerneering then she want to do the degree.
don't let him give up if one route is blocked. there are other ways to get were he wants to go.

ditzyat50

What does being classed as NEET mean please?

lighting_up_the_chalice

ditzyat50 wrote: »

What does being classed as NEET mean please?

Not in Employment, Education or Training. NEET.

dktreesea

Dunroamin wrote: »

Amazing that parents are more worried about their money than the fact that their child is dropping out of education!

Ah yes, but we live in Britain, where there are relatively few higher education places available of any description, college or university. Just because a teenager wants to continue their education doesn't mean they get to do so. Look at the hugely oversubscribed nursing, plumbing and electrician courses each year. Just because you have high enough marks to get into college doesn't mean you'll get a place. And students wanting to go onto college to study tend to study locally and live at home. Going to uni in a different city is very much a middle class course of events.