Child Benefit/Apprenticeship for 18 yr old?

Roxie

Does anyone know whether child benefit is still paid when an 18 year old has signed up to a college run apprenticeship? My 18 year old starts a 12 month apprenticeship in Sept which was arranged through a college, but I'm not sure whether this is classed as further training (when Child Benefit is payable up to age 20)?

There is no info whatsoever about apprenticeships in the letter from the Child Benefit office saying the payments would stop this month.

The apprenticeship appears to pay £105 per week for 48 hours, although this seems wrong to me as I thought apprenticeships were supposed to pay a minimum of £2.68 per hour and this works out at only £2.18 per hour.

Roxie

Thanks for the link but its still not clear to me whether an apprenticeship is classed as 'working' or 'training'.

Just wondering if anyone had experienced this last year and could clarify to prevent me the inevitable 30 minute on the phone should I have to call them.

Roxie

I do have reasonable levels of intelligence (really I do ) but this apprenticeship situation is all new to me.

To my knowledge an apprenticeship is not a contract of employment, its training combined with work experience for which the apprentice should receive £2.68 per hour? There has been no mention of receiving a contract of employment, to be in 'employment' surely the employee would receive the minimum wage?

I think I will just have to call the child benefit office and have it explained to me so that I can make sense of it.

Just searched national minimum wage and apprenticeship rate does show up, so perhaps an apprenticeship is paid employment? Cripes is anyone else confused by this or am I just being thick?

Caz3121

Roxie wrote: »

The apprenticeship appears to pay £105 per week for 48 hours,

blondebubbles wrote: »

To claim it needs to be approved training.

Approved training should be unpaid and can include:

the fact that he is being paid likely discounts it from the "approved training"

Roxie

Thanks for your advice, I think I've got my head around it now It seems that an apprenticeship IS employment.

It has been arranged through the college he attended last year, but payment will be made by the plumbing firm, so I assume at some point between now and the start date a contract of employment should appear.

Will have to question why it appears he will only receive £2.18 an hour not the £2.68 NMW, but thats another topic matter!

Thanks again, R

GwylimT

Roxie wrote: »

Thanks for your advice, I think I've got my head around it now It seems that an apprenticeship IS employment.

It has been arranged through the college he attended last year, but payment will be made by the plumbing firm, so I assume at some point between now and the start date a contract of employment should appear.

Will have to question why it appears he will only receive £2.18 an hour not the £2.68 NMW, but thats another topic matter!

Thanks again, R

Have you taken away his unpaid break time? Eg an eight hour day is actually 7.5 hours of pay etc.

missbiggles1

Roxie wrote: »

Thanks for your advice, I think I've got my head around it now It seems that an apprenticeship IS employment.

It has been arranged through the college he attended last year, but payment will be made by the plumbing firm, so I assume at some point between now and the start date a contract of employment should appear.

Will have to question why it appears he will only receive £2.18 an hour not the £2.68 NMW, but thats another topic matter!

Thanks again, R

Does he attend college on a regular basis because I'm pretty sure those hours would be unpaid.