College yet to make decision on daughters course and pending tax credits claim

marko2002

Hi all, looking for a little advice but I think I may kinda know the answer, but I always appreciate things like this can have many different outcomes and there are always people here who know precisely what the correct procedure is

Our daughter successfully completed a college course before the summer break and had already applied to move onto another course for this term. Throughout, we had been claiming tax credits for her and on the most recent notice received it said unless we told them about any changes in our daughters circumstances then tax credits would stop because as far as they are aware she wasn't continuing her further education (or at least they don't know of any). Now my daughter had been told by the college that they wouldn't likely be able to tell her if her application for the new course would be successful until August some time so we decided we wouldn't be able to continue with the claim for TC because we didn't know if she would be in full time education or not. So, we've basically done nothing and are prepared for the TC to end, on the basis obviously that if she does get accepted for the new course we can apply again.

My question is, would tax credits continue if we told IR that our daughter has already applied, and is awaiting the outcome?. She does plan to continue her further education and hope even to get another similar course if the one she has applied to doesn't pan out but personally I think TC wouldn't entertain such a claim because she hasn't been accepted yet but the college won't tell her the outcome of her application until August. Kinda catch 22 but just wondered if anyone here had more experience in this than us
Thanks as always
Marko

flea72

If she plans to stay in college, then you can still claim. So just let them know this. It doesnt matter if her place is confirmed yet or not, its the intention to continue that has to be confirmed. If she doesnt get on the course then you can let them know shes no longer in education. But even if she doesnt get on the course she wants, but thinks she might apply for a different one, then you can still claim, up until 31st august

Bollotom

As above. My son has done 3 years at college and each August I have phoned CTC helpline to inform them and they have then said okay and CTC has continued uninterrupted. Just make sure the course is eligible and Robert is your father's brother. :cool:

marko2002

Thanks guys, as always, can trust the MSE regulars for the right advice

dlb

Hi please can i jump in on this thread as am in a similar position with my son, he is currently 18 and just completed a 2 year college course, we claim CTC for him, he has applied for another 1 year course starting in Sept, but is unsure if he wants to take it, he has also been applying for apprenticeships with no success yet, my question is should i inform tax credits that he may not be continuing at college? He hasn't fully decided what he is going to do yet ( which is driving us mad) i have already told tax credits at my review that he intends to stay on for a further year, but now he is unsure..do i wait until he has made his decision or inform them now?

dlb

Conditional place been offered based of what the results of the course he has just complete are, which he doesnt get for another few weeks yet.

dlb

Im completely confused by the whole situation, child benefit it paid until 1st sept even if he doesn't decide to go back to college, but tax credits i believe stop straight away from the day you inform them he isn't not going to college...dont want to stop them now if he decided to then take the course, plus if he doesn't take the course and cant get onto an apprenticeship i have no idea if he can claim job seekers or something else, i know iv read he cant claim anything in his own name whilst child benefit is being paid so does that mean if tax credits stop now he has no income at all until child benefit ends?