Parent on benefits, 16 year old working...advice please!

Teabag5310

I don't claim any benefits myself so was hoping someone with more knowledge could help me out a bit with resolving an issue...

A family member is a single parent with two children, 16 & 11. She doesn't work due to mental health issues. Her 16 year old quit college & has found some casual work. I'm getting my information third hand so it might not all be accurate but it seems 16yo didn't claim any JSA as it would have affected her mum's income. She's currently working for cash & says it's because she hasn't been sent an NI number (that's my next research task..) Now being the not quite grown up that she is, she's fallen out with her mum who says she should pay rent now she's earning, I can see why that seems unfair to her when she can't see her mum paying out, but at the same time I think she needs to know that adulthood comes with responsibilities.

I suppose what I'd like to know is what the consequences of 16yo working are for a mum on benefits? Will 16yo expected to pay rent? Would this need to be recorded officially & who with?

My intention now is to help her sort out her NI & look for proper work if she won't go in for a second attempt at college.

Thanks in advance for your help.

belowtheline2013

Not declaring the 16 year old's income is benefit fraud and will be treated as such.

Also now that 16 year old has quite college this must also be declared as it is a disadvantageous change, the longer it goes on the higher the overpayment of benefit will be and the more severe the penalty (again this is benefit fraud, deliberately not informing of a change that will reduce benefit entitlement). Mum might no longer be entilted to Tax Credits and Child Benefit for this child and as she is also working a small deduction will be made from Housing Benefit for the contribution she is expected to make.

rogerblack

Teabag5310 wrote: »

I suppose what I'd like to know is what the consequences of 16yo working are for a mum on benefits? Will 16yo expected to pay rent? Would this need to be recorded officially & who with?

If the child is no longer in fulltime education, then the parent is no longer entitled to CTB.
A 16/17yo cannot usually claim JSA if they are living at home.
They are not expected to pay anything - however once they reach 18 the council tax support may go down, as may the housing benefit, a little, once they are earning

Teabag5310

Mum's already declared her not being at college & paid back a small amount of child benefit but I don't think her income has been declared, this is only a recent development.

So, presuming she sorts out her NI number & finds appropriate employment, her mum needs to declare daughters income? Is that right? And with regards to paying board, can mum insist on it formally? And does that count as income? Or does that become subletting?

I appreciate your insight as I want to make sure I give the right advice to the 16 yo. She's already starting to think that earning isn't worth the hassle.

Dunroamin

Teabag5310 wrote: »

Mum's already declared her not being at college & paid back a small amount of child benefit but I don't think her income has been declared, this is only a recent development.

So, presuming she sorts out her NI number & finds appropriate employment, her mum needs to declare daughters income? Is that right? And with regards to paying board, can mum insist on it formally? And does that count as income? Or does that become subletting?

I appreciate your insight as I want to make sure I give the right advice to the 16 yo. She's already starting to think that earning isn't worth the hassle.

Her mother can't insist formally on asking for board but it would be pretty shameful if the 16 year old didn't pay it as her mother's been left so much worse off because of her choices.

rogerblack

Teabag5310 wrote: »

So, presuming she sorts out her NI number & finds appropriate employment, her mum needs to declare daughters income? Is that right? And with regards to paying board, can mum insist on it formally?

Any other persons income is generally in law theirs to do as they wish with.
While HB/council tax support may be reduced by earned income of the young person, that does not mean they have any legal obligation to pay whatsoever.
There only the usual sanctions (throw them out, stop cooking for them/...) if they do not.
In some cases, income from someone else for someone on means tested benefits will be counted and the benefit reduced.
The young person could - for example - take over certain bills or expenses, and pay those, which generally does not reduce.

Teabag5310

Thank you. I'm trying to remember being 16 & feeling the whole world's against you!
College was near impossible for her to keep up as she needed bus fares & lunch which she wasn't getting, hence I'm in no rush to advise her to hand her cash over now unless it's fairly agreed & stuck to. It must be so hard trying to work & pay your way at that age when most of the adults in the community where she lives aren't doing. She's home alone this week and says the money she earned has all gone on gas & electric meters. Sure it won't do her any harm to appreciate how much these things cost. But at the same time I'd like her to feel that work brings some good things too, she should be able to buy herself make up or something or I'm worried she'll think it's not worth the effort. Just hope she's mature enough to see past the now & work hard for a better future.

Blackpool_Saver

It can happen before they are earning

Horseunderwater

Teabag5310 wrote: »

I don't claim any benefits myself so was hoping someone with more knowledge could help me out a bit with resolving an issue...

A family member is a single parent with two children, 16 & 11. She doesn't work due to mental health issues. Her 16 year old quit college & has found some casual work. I'm getting my information third hand so it might not all be accurate but it seems 16yo didn't claim any JSA as it would have affected her mum's income. She's currently working for cash & says it's because she hasn't been sent an NI number (that's my next research task..) Now being the not quite grown up that she is, she's fallen out with her mum who says she should pay rent now she's earning, I can see why that seems unfair to her when she can't see her mum paying out, but at the same time I think she needs to know that adulthood comes with responsibilities.

I suppose what I'd like to know is what the consequences of 16yo working are for a mum on benefits? Will 16yo expected to pay rent? Would this need to be recorded officially & who with?

My intention now is to help her sort out her NI & look for proper work if she won't go in for a second attempt at college.

Thanks in advance for your help.

They are now in letter format and are sent out to people on their 15th Birthday, so they have had one they have lost the letter. They will have to apply for it not you as it is theirs so they will need to ask via phone call or letter for it to be resent.

allen35

There are no non dependant deductions for under 18's so ok for a while on that one.

The 16yr old's income will have no bearing on her mother's own benefits.

A suggestion to put to both the 16yr old and her mother:

The mother would continue to of had an increase in her income by approx' £78 pw if she had given her daughter bus fare and money for lunch to continue with her education, seems a little greedy on the mother's behalf.

The 16 yr old seems a responsible young adult by going out and finding a job to support herself and now the mother wants some of this income too!!!

As a parent myself I couldn't for the life of me think about depriving my children an education whether i was receiving extra benefits due to it or not.

Now for the solution:

Daughter goes back to F/T college in September (usually around 14 hours) and continue's to work a few hours giving her pocket money without deductions, mother's child benefit and child tax credits(£78) would be put back into payment once applied for and she agrees to give her 16yr old daughter enough money for her bus pass and lunch whilst at college and maybe a monthly allowance based on her doing well at college as an incentive. The income her daughter earns will have no impact on mother's housing benefit or other benefits because 16yr old will now be reclassed as a dependant child which she should of remained throughout.

sunnyone

Teabag5310 wrote: »

Thank you. I'm trying to remember being 16 & feeling the whole world's against you!
College was near impossible for her to keep up as she needed bus fares & lunch which she wasn't getting, hence I'm in no rush to advise her to hand her cash over now unless it's fairly agreed & stuck to. It must be so hard trying to work & pay your way at that age when most of the adults in the community where she lives aren't doing. She's home alone this week and says the money she earned has all gone on gas & electric meters. Sure it won't do her any harm to appreciate how much these things cost. But at the same time I'd like her to feel that work brings some good things too, she should be able to buy herself make up or something or I'm worried she'll think it's not worth the effort. Just hope she's mature enough to see past the now & work hard for a better future.

Bursary's are available (in England, the old more generous scheme still runs in the other parts of the UK) for transport /lunch costs, these are payed on top of tax credits/child benefits, my son gets a bursary and we do not claim tax credits for him (we do get child benefit though) and its a decent amount each week but it would not quite cover all of my sons bus fares (if he caught the bus)