Child tax credits at 19 and at college

dinkytoy

Hi, my sister has just gone 19 and she is due to do the second year of a c&g course at the local college of FE in September but When she asked what the start date was for hEr course she was told she needed to sign on or she wouldn't be able to do the course?

Is this true?

If it is can she sign on and do the course?

What date would our mum stop getting tax credits and my sister needs to go to the job center?

We have both been unpaid carers for our mum, is carers allowance an alternative for my sister, we both easily do the 35 hours per week needed to claim carers allowance?



The couRse is 15 hours per week if that relevant.

bloolagoon

I think the issue is payment for the course as they are over 19 so the course won't be free. Is that correct OP?

dinkytoy

blondebubbles wrote: »

What qualification is it?

It's a c&g

bloolagoon wrote: »

I think the issue is payment for the course as they are over 19 so the course won't be free. Is that correct OP?

Will the course be free if she signs on or if she claims carers allowance for looking after our mum?

How much will the course cost? Our nana paid for me to do two extra A levels and I think she would do the same for my.

We are worried that if she signs on she might be forced out of college for the work program. She is now applying for apprenterships, we have for a day center that mum can attend for few hours per week and between that my work patten and nana helping out she is ready to work.

We will both always have to care for our mum though and we have never asked for any recompense but mums advocate suggest we look into carers allowance just until my sis gets an apprenticeship.

bloolagoon

blondebubbles wrote: »

Whether the course is free or not won't impact tax credits.

It's based on the level of the qualification, if still non-advanced they could still claim CTC until the child is 20 as long as the child isn't awarded any benefits as an adult eg JSA, ISS or ESA

I know but many of my patients find that the cost of the course is too prohibitive so move to IS and carers allowance to get the course free. A typical city and guilds can be thousands.

missbiggles1

blondebubbles wrote: »

Yeah I saw that on your first post but im not familiar with the initials, do you know what it stands for?

City and Guilds

Level 3 or lower.

bloolagoon

blondebubbles wrote: »

Thanks - That would still qualify for CTC.

It would only end if the child was awarded benefits in their own right and it would stop from the date the benefit was awarded.

The OP needs to ask the college if they can help fund it

I suppose the issue is Income Support and carers with a free course or CTC until 20 possibly paying for it.

Our local college doesn't seem to offer support but I've read some do.

dinkytoy

blondebubbles wrote: »

Whether the course is free or not won't impact tax credits.

It's based on the level of the qualification, if still non-advanced they could still claim CTC until the child is 20 as long as the child isn't awarded any benefits as an adult eg JSA, ISS or ESA

The college seem to be saying that as she is 19 now the second year of the course won't be funded, so mum can't keep claiming CTC and child benefits. My mum is in a wheelchair and has severe mental health problems so she gets DLA plus her pension and pension credit for herself (but she lost an amount of benefit when my sis reached 18 which is disgusting, your needs don't suddenly changed from the day your child reaches 18) and she gets my sisters CTC & CB.

If this was true when would my mum lose my sisters benefits.

bloolagoon wrote: »

I know but many of my patients find that the cost of the course is too prohibitive so move to IS and carers allowance to get the course free. A typical city and guilds can be thousands.

A levels certainly didn't cost that much!

bloolagoon wrote: »

The OP needs to ask the college if they can help fund it

I suppose the issue is Income Support and carers with a free course or CTC until 20 possibly paying for it.

Our local college doesn't seem to offer support but I've read some do.

My sister isn't good at dealing with authority figures, I want her to try and manage this herself as I wont always be available to help her (my mum has never been able to help us with these things so I have been doing it from a very young age and she is used to relying on me)

I can't go to work with her after all.

dinkytoy

blondebubbles wrote: »

Thanks - That would still qualify for CTC.

It would only end if the child was awarded benefits in their own right and it would stop from the date the benefit was awarded.

We would prefer to keep things as they are but the college said we can't, I will give my sis another two or three weeks And then I will have to go in and try to sort it out.

Can anyone tell me about signing on and college/ the work program if we are forced to follow that path and the date my sis would be forced to claim in her own right if my can't claim for her?

bloolagoon

dinkytoy wrote: »

The college seem to be saying that as she is 19 now the second year of the course won't be funded, so mum can't keep claiming CTC and child benefits. My mum is in a wheelchair and has severe mental health problems so she gets DLA plus her pension and pension credit for herself (but she lost an amount of benefit when my sis reached 18 which is disgusting, your needs don't suddenly changed from the day your child reaches 18) and she gets my sisters CTC & CB.

If this was true when would my mum lose my sisters benefits.







A levels certainly didn't cost that much!



My sister isn't good at dealing with authority figures, I want her to try and manage this herself as I wont always be available to help her (my mum has never been able to help us with these things so I have been doing it from a very young age and she is used to relying on me)

I can't go to work with her after all.

Your mum has 2 choices. She can claim CB and CTC but the college may make her pay - you'd need to ask them and what the cost is

Or

Sis claims income support and carers allowance. I don't know how this affects your mums benefits if she gets a premium for eg.

dinkytoy

bloolagoon wrote: »

Your mum has 2 choices. She can claim CB and CTC but the college may make her pay - you'd need to ask them and what the cost is

Or

Sis claims income support and carers allowance. I don't know how this affects your mums benefits if she gets a premium for eg.

Can the college stop mum claiming the child related benefits? If I remeber last year I had to contact the college and then tax credits can check with them that the course fits the criteria for the benefits.

It won't affect mums benefit as she lost the premium thingy when my sis hit her 18 birthday, so she then wasn't classed as living alone anymore, just as she did when I was 18 and still living at home.

Many thanks to everyone who has read the thread and many, many thanks to those who have heped with my questions x.

bloolagoon

dinkytoy wrote: »

Can the college stop mum claiming the child related benefits? If I remeber last year I had to contact the college and then tax credits can check with them that the course fits the criteria for the benefits.

It won't affect mums benefit as she lost the premium thingy when my sis hit her 18 birthday, so she then wasn't classed as living alone anymore, just as she did when I was 18 and still living at home.

Many thanks to everyone who has read the thread and many, many thanks to those who have heped with my questions x.

No it won't affect CTC as blonde bubbles said - but she may have to pay for the course