child benefit at 18?

skipsmum

DS turned 18 in April and has just finished college. I have been getting child benefit for him. He tried to sign on at the job centre and the lady we spoke to said he can't claim job seekers allowance until September as thats when the child benefit finishes.

Obviously I didn't expect to claim both - I asked her if I could stop claiming CB now, but she said he still won't be able to claim JSA until September.

Any thoughts on whether this is the case? The main reason I wanted him to sign on was for the extra help he would get job-seeking.

BigAunty

Here is a summary of when CB ends when a child turns 18 and leaves education.

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

I'm not really aware what help new JSA claimants get with job seeking, I got the impression that extra support tends to kick in after a period of claiming it rather than upfront, that it is expected a claimant performs a number of job search activities as a condition of receiving it but that they don't necessarily get much in the way of careers/job searching advice. But other members can clarify the position.

Here is a link on the Direct Gov website to help young people look for work.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/Workandcareers/index.htm

Does his college offer a careers service for recent leavers? Mine does, including help with CVs, etc, plus during the college course, we were expected to produce a personal development plan which helped us form job objectives and aims.

xylophone

Is help with career options /job seeking only offered to those in receipt of JSA?

kingfisherblue

Connexions can help with job seeking, Cvs, interview techniques, etc. Is this the sort of extra help you mean? He can visit them straight away and doesn't need to wait until he is on JSA. Of course, he might get a job before then, so might not need to sign on after all.

Connexions can also help with the cost of a CRB check if one is needed for a job. You might need to push for it, but it is possible. They helped my daughter with this almost three years ago.

skipsmum

thanks all,

Big Aunty - the link was helpful, thankyou.
Child leaves education or training - and is 18 or over

Your payments will normally carry on from the date your child leaves education or training that counts for Child Benefit, until the week that includes the earliest of these dates:

• the last day of February
• 31 May
• 31 August
• 30 November

so it looks like he can't apply for jobseekers yet. Which is fine, (obviously we don't want him to sit around on the dole) but he isn't motivated to look for a job.
The college he was at has done absolutely nothing to prepare him for job seeking.

Xylophone - other than the job centre and connexions, I can't find anything. He has learning difficulties so I thought the disability advisor at the job centre would know of opportunities.

Kingfisher - He has registered with connexions but they are very short staffed. I've been there several times with him - the advisors were all nice but so busy that the teenagers were rushed through very quickly.

BigAunty

skipsmum wrote: »

...
The college he was at has done absolutely nothing to prepare him for job seeking.

...

Ours doesn't actively seek out students but they are there if we want to book a consultation, get a CV reviewed - the student still needs to have a degree of proactiveness.. They have advise sheets and the college library (and our local library come to think of it) have lots of helpful books.

skipsmum wrote: »

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..he isn't motivated to look for a job

...

My dad used to motivate my unemployed brother by tipping him out of bed on his way out to work and also ordering him out of the house to go and find a job and not letting him back in for long periods of time (anything to stop him getting comfortable)....okay, it was some years ago and not a strategy I'd recommend...

Any chance that you could tempt him into voluntary work in order to boost his CV and stop the slide of confidence and appetite for employment, give him a bit of structure, a sense of purpose, a social outlet, get him out from under your feet?

skipsmum wrote: »

...
..He has learning difficulties so I thought the disability advisor at the job centre would know of opportunities.

...

Perhaps an organisation like the Princes Trust or the Shaw Trust or similar will offer advice, volunteering/employment opportunities and support? Plus you could review Disability Charity websites for their advice on getting youngsters with disabilities into employment or links to other structured schemes?

There is also an employment and job seeking board on MSE whose posters will be able to give you masses of tips on motivating teenagers into work, support available to those with disabilities, etc.

xylophone

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/employmentsupport/lookingforwork/dg_4000377
"Personal learning and careers advice from Next Step
If you're looking for personal learning and careers advice, contact an adviser and arrange to talk face-to-face. Whether you want to change jobs or learn something new and broaden your skills, you can talk in confidence to an adviser. Telephone 0800 100 900 to speak to a Next Step adviser or book a free call back from an adviser by following the link below."

Dunroamin

Nextstep is for people 19 or over but could be useful in the future.

OP, if your son has learning difficulties and isn't motivated to get a job, have you considered the possibility of his staying on at college?