the unfair child tax credit system

duchy

The main difference is that as an adult he will be getting the help rather than the family household.

He can claim a maintenance loan and grant plus extra to cover extra expenses due to his disability - decent computer etc

As this will cover many of the things you currently pay for out of his CTC as well as the family's wages you may even be better off (although as it's his money the final say on how it is spent will of course be his) .

I have a friend with the same disability- her parents encouraged her to be independant early as they appreciated she was likely to outlive them - she lives alone -she works (as a receptionist at a college) and is fiercely independent. Despite needing a wheelchair she has travelled as far as the US alone as well as when she wants to attend functions in London -she prebooks station assistance and off she goes. She has a busy social life locally too and even finds time to volunteer for charities (she's a demon at getting people to donate LOL) Her father is now dead and her Mum has dementia and is in a home -Had they kept her at home she'd have to have learned later in life to do all this . University is the first step for your son -and it may well lead to more and more independence which is all good. Yes things will go wrong sometimes but he will learn to cope just like we all do when we step out of our comfort zone.

As the parent of a son with a disability I understand that losing CTC is a big drop - especially as DLA then moves from been paid to the parent to the child.....but realistically you like me knew it was going to happen.

Blackpool_Saver

http://www2.open.ac.uk/study/support/disability/orientation

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/do-it/disability

FBaby

It is hard to feel sorry for you. As a family, between your husband's income and the benefits you and your son will receive, you will be much better off than a family not eligible for any benefits at all. It sounds like you got used to a lifestyle that you have taken for granted.

Can't you work evenings/week-ends?

Caz3121

fellwalker09 wrote: »

I can understand the difference between the level of education naturally but not for the ctc ruling. Never mind. It is what it is.
As for full or part time, my son is naturally going down the part time route -fulltime degree would be too much work for him.

Re the levels of education
these apply to full time education;
non-advanced education - child benefit / tax credits still apply, these courses do not provide student finance, student loans etc
advanced education - Tuition fee loan, Maintenance loan for living costs and Maintenance Grants available

As your son is going to be studying part time, child benefit/child tax credits would no longer apply anyway even if he was not doing a degree course. He will be classed as having left full time education so "child" benefits would stop and he would look to claim benefits in his own right as an adult (ESA) who happens to study part time

merlin68

It happens to all of us, my disabled dd is 17 in july. I was hoping she would stay till she was 20 at college but she doesnt want to. I cant force her and i know what you mean. The tax credits and child benefit for dd come to £165 a week whereas esa is £71 its a big drop. i told her shes going to have to hand it over to pay her keep, but shes ok with that. She doesnt really like college as she finds social situations difficult. Trouble is if she gives it up shell be at home 7 days a week and i wont have a life at least now i get 2 and a half days a week free go out in peace and do adult stuff as she cant be left home alone.

fellwalker09

xylophone- thank you. The esa route sounds apt for him as long as he's prepared to deal with the job centre. That's my other issue -he's unmotivated a little when it comes to sorting things out for himself but perhaps if he sees he can get some money, it might be okay. Also, a seperate issue, but yes, what will we do when we (hubby also) are no longer fit enough. This is something all carers have to face and we are doing this now. It's a long process but basically it's readying him for his future. And it's a constant worry.

Shiloe - I'll thank you for your reply but I can see that my own comments/initial post has been interpreted the wrong way. I don't wish my son to remain a child so that I can claim child benefit. His uni studies have been decided upon quickly -he couldn't make up his mind -he had another route to go down -college. He tried this and it didn't work out for him. I had not checked with the dwp re ctc and uni study. I'm just caught out with it all. If other households can suddenly, as in within 2 months, deal with an income drop of £300 ish pounds, then great. That's fab. However, for me that's not the case. So often, with disability and carers in households, poverty follows. We are not exactly in that bracket, not yet, and I hope never to be, but we are not comfortable either. So, unless I can make ends meet, I will now have to go out to work and my son will have to manage as best he can, with whatever support we can gain if we are fortunate, from social services. I don't believe they ever did give the resources to provide care so a person could go out and do a days work but we'll see.
I will tell you that I found your last comment offensive -perhaps with our present circumstances I'm overly sensitive. Not even our own family understand what our life is really like or what our son's life is like. This however is only natural to a point. However, I always make it a point to never be heavily opinionated because you never truly know what the other person's life is like. I don't generally moan to people. This is simply a financial issue but clearly I already knew and had the answers as the above replies have confirmed. So, thank you all for your help. I will ask my son to speak with his social worker for poss support and will help him begin an esa application.
I think we can safely end this thread now. Best wishes to you all this year.

Icequeen99

fellwalker09 wrote: »

xylophone- thank you. The esa route sounds apt for him as long as he's prepared to deal with the job centre. That's my other issue -he's unmotivated a little when it comes to sorting things out for himself but perhaps if he sees he can get some money, it might be okay. Also, a seperate issue, but yes, what will we do when we (hubby also) are no longer fit enough. This is something all carers have to face and we are doing this now. It's a long process but basically it's readying him for his future. And it's a constant worry.

Shiloe - I'll thank you for your reply but I can see that my own comments/initial post has been interpreted the wrong way. I don't wish my son to remain a child so that I can claim child benefit. His uni studies have been decided upon quickly -he couldn't make up his mind -he had another route to go down -college. He tried this and it didn't work out for him. I had not checked with the dwp re ctc and uni study. I'm just caught out with it all. If other households can suddenly, as in within 2 months, deal with an income drop of £300 ish pounds, then great. That's fab. However, for me that's not the case. So often, with disability and carers in households, poverty follows. We are not exactly in that bracket, not yet, and I hope never to be, but we are not comfortable either. So, unless I can make ends meet, I will now have to go out to work and my son will have to manage as best he can, with whatever support we can gain if we are fortunate, from social services. I don't believe they ever did give the resources to provide care so a person could go out and do a days work but we'll see.
I will tell you that I found your last comment offensive -perhaps with our present circumstances I'm overly sensitive. Not even our own family understand what our life is really like or what our son's life is like. This however is only natural to a point. However, I always make it a point to never be heavily opinionated because you never truly know what the other person's life is like. I don't generally moan to people. This is simply a financial issue but clearly I already knew and had the answers as the above replies have confirmed. So, thank you all for your help. I will ask my son to speak with his social worker for poss support and will help him begin an esa application.
I think we can safely end this thread now. Best wishes to you all this year.

I don't think most people could deal with losing £300, but i think the point we were trying to make was that as a household you won't lose £300. It is just that the child benefits are replaced by adult ones.

It is a good idea for your son to speak to the social worker. I am a carer for someone who is brain damaged and needs 24 hour care, i understand how hard it is for people to accept help. But sometimes, the best thing to do as a carer is to encourage independence and acceptance of others doing some of the care. I struggled with giving that control up initially, but it does get easier. You have to remember to meet your own needs as well and it doesn't sound like that is happening. If your son has such severe disabilities, it sounds like social services should be stepping up and providing far more care to allow him to be independent and equally allow you some independence and time for you.

Edited to add: I noticed your comment about SS and care allowing people to go out to work. Any care assessment should be based on your son's needs first and foremost. It doesn't take account of your situation. If you want and choose to do some of the care that is fine, equally if you choose to do none of the care - in that case SS will need to cover his needs.

Good luck with it all.

IQ

fellwalker09

Thanks Icequeen. But the way I was looking at it was that my household is losing 300. Because that money is paid to my and my husband, and it's swallowed up in groceries/petrol/clothing expenses/bills etc, for the whole family. We are 4. Now, my son will get the esa, if he can, but this is his claim and his money. That's good. I can't ask him for that, it's not right. The issue is that I now need to make this up. I can't cut much more on household -only less on groceries once again (already done recently). I do try to be frugal. Whilst I can ask my son to make a contribution, I can only ask for a small amount per week. But yes, I see what you're getting at. But the issue is, as I say, I have to find a way of earning money. I've signed up to various places (as others have done on the work from home thread here). Maybe I can make a little there. There's also ebay. There are avenues so I'm sure I'll get something. It sounds so awful when you post here with problems sometimes -or I should say that it makes me feel dreadful but I am grateful to have so many responses offering advice. Thank you.

WestonDave

I wonder if ignoring his disabilities for a moment might put a useful perspective on "his claim" etc.


If he were fully able bodied and starting a job, (or claiming JSA) he'd have a choice - move out and have the independence that brings or stay at home and have the support etc of family life. That's a choice which some will prefer either way. However whichever way, it is the now adult offsprings responsibility to fund their total living costs (rent, food, bills, travel to work, clothes etc) out of their income (be it wages or benefits). Whether he pays that to the family or to third parties is also largely irrelevant.


So whilst his disability means (I'm assuming) that moving out isn't a realistic prospect, it doesn't change the fact that his ESA (or whatever else he gets) is there to pay firstly for his basic living costs and on benefits frankly he should expect very little left for luxuries. (To be clear I'm saying that the amounts paid afford very little more than basics not that because he is on benefits he somehow deserves a poor standard of life with no luxuries).


So on that basis I'd be expecting most of his ESA (if he gets it) to be paid into the family pot because his part of the food, heating, other bills, clothes etc (if you are getting those) will amount to most of what he is getting. I can appreciate the attitude that its his money for the first time and it would be nice for him to be able to keep it, but he is an adult and needs to take an adult view that life is expensive and he needs to pay his part.

fellwalker09

thanks Dave. Useful info. I need to have that 'chat' with him. Best wishes.