Benefits for an adult dependent?

balibali293

My little sister (20) with selective mutism will be moving in with us but she only gets EMA as she is doing a study at home course.

At 20, we won't be entitled to tax credits for her but does anyone know what we could look at, as it will be another mouth to feed?

rogerblack

In principle, some people with anxiety related disorders may be entitled to disability living allowance, and employment and support allowance.
DLA would possibly allow you or your partner to claim an award of carers allowance.
But it's questionable that she would meet the level (mid-rate care) to get this.
Otherwise, jobseekers, if it is not a full time course.

dandelionclock30

She could go and sign on and get JSA or if she is too disabled to work ESA but she would need a Doctors notes and would have to go for medicals etc.
If she is classed as disabled then she could apply for DLA and you may be able to get carers allowance for her.
If she hasnt got any issues regarding understanding then you could talk to her about her the fact that she needs to sort out her finances and that you will help her with it.
She could also look for part time work to fit in around her studying, not everything requires a lot of talking.

BigAunty

I didn't know that you could get EMA for studying at home, to be honest.

Without a sickness/disability benefit, she will not be classed as an adult dependent but as a non-dependent and that's an important distinction from a benefit point of view.

She may be another mouth to feed but the loss of things like child tax credits is something for her to step up and pay in the form of keep. She will be a non-dependent - not dependent on parents to directly support her.

Ways to meet the household living expenses include things like JSA (or ESA if she's too sick to work) as long as she's not in full time studies, employment income or college bursary/loan if she studies or works full time in the future.

If she doesn't apply for or qualify for JSA, ESA, DLA, doesn't enter employment or full time studies, then she is a NEET (not in education, employment or training) and won't get any benefits as she's simply not in any conventional system.

balibali293

Wow, as if 3 boys and a husband wasn't enough! Thanks for the advice

princessdon

Just to note that depending on her benefit claimed *it could* affect whether she has to pay for her course and whether she is able to continue with it or drop out etc.

BigAunty

balibali293 wrote: »

Wow, as if 3 boys and a husband wasn't enough! Thanks for the advice

So if she lives with you, you need to have a chat that she should be pitching into the household purse from her benefits, student or employment income, depending on what path she picks.

And inform her that other adults in the household will have to support her if she elects to become a NEET.

She's at the usual crossroads for a new adult in deciding what she wants to do with her life, albeit with the additional pressures that come from an anxiety/behavioural condition.

She may not have a clue how much it costs to run a household or how her change in status is impacting your income, in which case you can walk her through the MSE budget planner and show her how much rent/mortgage, energy, water, insurance, telecoms, tv, council tax, food bills currently are.

balibali293

BigAunty wrote: »

I didn't know that you could get EMA for studying at home, to be honest.

Without a sickness/disability benefit, she will not be classed as an adult dependent but as a non-dependent and that's an important distinction from a benefit point of view.

She may be another mouth to feed but the loss of things like child tax credits is something for her to step up and pay in the form of keep. She will be a non-dependent - not dependent on parents to directly support her.

Ways to meet the household living expenses include things like JSA (or ESA if she's too sick to work) as long as she's not in full time studies, employment income or college bursary/loan if she studies or works full time in the future.

If she doesn't apply for or qualify for JSA, ESA, DLA, doesn't enter employment or full time studies, then she is a NEET (not in education, employment or training) and won't get any benefits as she's simply not in any conventional system.

Thanks for the advice. You were right, it is ESA she gets not EMA. The budget planner is a good idea, I'll approach it tonight.

BigAunty

balibali293 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. You were right, it is ESA she gets not EMA. The budget planner is a good idea, I'll approach it tonight.

Depending on where she is in the application process and which group she is placed in, she should be getting between £56 and up to £105 per week so you might want to check what she receives. Not sure if/how her age might limit the upper sum but perhaps another poster can clarify.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_171896

So the general process is that an adult child chips into the household purse, though on this forum we see plenty of posts from frustrated parents whose children see their JSA, college/uni bursary/grant or apprenticeship wage as their pocket money, won't hand over a penny and still expect to be fed!