CSA after age 16

mikeM_2

Hi,

I have a daughter from a previous relationship - she turns 16 in October of this year. To cut a long story short she has suffered lengthy breaks in her education and isn't expected to do well, maybe 2 or 3 GCSE's at most. She has no plans to go to college and may have to repeat a year at school. I think it's unlikely she's going to continue in further education but may take some kind of vocational course.

I have a private maintenance arrangement with her mother and I am looking to stop paying this as soon as I can. I am thankfully not involved with the CSA but I read on their website that maintenance can stop if the child is aged 16+ if they are not in further education or some kind of training course. As I understand it if the child is on income support/jobseekers allowance or in employment then
the CSA is no longer interested and any application for maintenance to them in this situation would be dismissed.

Can anyone confirm that this is the case? Any help would be greatly appreciated (and please; no judgemental remarks as you don't know my full situation).

Many thanks
Mike

Crellow4

If she continues in non advanced education, your liability could go on until she's 20. Non advanced education would include repeating her GCSE's and numerous vocational courses as well as A levels,

When_the_going_gets_tough

Also JSA or Income support are not normally payable for under 18 year olds.

jacklink

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shegirl

If in non advanced education through csa it's payable until 20.If you stop your payments your ex can go through the csa.

Your daughter isn't 16 until October so her exams/normal school leaving will be next year anyway,maybe she'll improve.

Also,kids have to be in education/training until 18 now.

13Kent

CSA is payable until the August after their 19th Birthday, until Child Benefit is no longer payable, if they stay in non advanced education ( repeating school years and A levels would be included in this).

If they do a course such as a lower level NVQ even though they are being paid in their own right, CSA is still payable to the PWC.

The PWC can apply for an extention to Child Benefit if the child is 'in between' courses as long as that child has signed on with Connections and they are trying to find the child a course.

(We have recent experience of this as my husband's child despite not being academic was pushed by the PWC to stay on at school to do A levels rather than going the college course the child wanted to do which would not have counted as non advanced education, or encouraging the child to get a job. CSA was still paid. The child lasted until Oct half term before dropping out of the course which was sadly too hard. The child then sat at home doing nothing for a few months until eventually being found an NVQ placement with a (albeit small) salary. CSA still paid. The 'child' then moved out of the PWC's house, but as the PWC was still claiming child benefit for that child then the CSA payments remained the same. (We could not prove the child had moved out without causing a lot of aggravation which would have caused problems for the person the child was living with, and seriously damaged our relationship with the child so we decided to let sleeping dogs lie.) The child continued on that course for 12 months, and after completing the course although the child stayed in the job it no longer became an course eligible for Child Benefit to be paid. We then informed the CSA that we believed that CB was no longer being paid in respect of that child and the CSA payments were changed.

So if the child stays in non advanced education and child benefit is being paid then CSA is payable possibly until the August after the 19th birthday, so if a case is opened with the CSA then you will be required to pay.

jacklink

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13Kent

Have to agree with you there, we tried to talk to the child about it, and tell the child that just because we wouldn't be paying maintenance to the PWC it didn't mean we would no longer support the child, but would choose to sent money directly to the child rather than via the PWC but unfortunately our influence only goes so far.

mikeM_2

Many thanks for everyone's advice! It would seem like many on these boards I am playing a waiting game ;(

13Kent

Yes, but don't rest on your laurels too much, you have to inform the CSA of any changes before they will action anything, it doesn't happen automatically - once a child becomes 16 their is a change to the calculation as the PWC no longer receives the carers allowance part of the calculation. We asked if this was changed automatically when the child reached 16 but were told we have to inform them of any changes before anything would be done. They are also not very good about backdating stuff, so make sure you inform them of any changes you believe have occurred as soon as you know about them.

Platy123

If the carers allowance is removed does this mean the assesment goes down??