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

Teabag5310

allen35 wrote: »

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.

Thanks for this, it seems like a workable way forwards. I sometimes wonder who is the most adult between the two! I'll also get her to look into bursaries, I'm sure there'll be someone at the college who she can go to for support.

Teabag5310

Dunroamin wrote: »

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.

I don't doubt that your opinion is valid in many circumstances, I just feel that in this case the child has been at the mercy of her mother's bad choices for so long she has had very little choice of her own, let alone a good example of mature decision making.
But I think she's realising now for herself and that's probably the only way she'll really appreciate that what she chooses now has real consequences for the future. Think they call it growing up!

Housing_Benefit_Officer

belowtheline2013 wrote: »

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.

There are no non dependant deductions if the non dependant is under 18. It doesn't matter if the non deps income was nil or £999.99 per week it would have no impact. The child circumstances would only be taken into account for Housing Benefit purposes once that child turns 18.

Why worry people claiming it is benefit fraud. You cause unnecessary anxiety and anguish.

If the child has left full time education then the claimant needs to speak to Child Benefit Agency and HMRC to see what the impact on Child Benefit and Tax Credits would be.

Normally if a child leaves education there would be a 20 week extension on Child Benefit if the child meets certain conditions about registering with an official body. But this has to be done as and when the child left education.

The same rules apply to Tax Credits about a 20 week extension.

If a child leaves education and fails to register with an official body then child benefit and child tax credits for that child stop.

If child benefit stops then the local Housing Benefit Department needs to be informed so the dependant child can be changed to a non dependant for benefit purposes.

But as the child is under 18 there will be no non dependant deductions irrespective of the child's income until they reach the age of 18.

If she does get back into education then the Mother needs to re claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits.