Child Maintenance question

Chucky1234

Hi guys, hope I've got the right forum.

Quick question regarding child maintenance.

Child in question is 18 and just finished full time education at college. Does not yet have a job.

One parent thinks child support should be paid until September, the other thinks it ends now.

Can anyone clear it up for me please?

pigpen

for the sake of 11 weeks it may as well still be paid, but mine just finished college too and hers is being paid until the end of the academic year .. 31st August.

They are still classed as in education as far as child benefit and tax credits are concerned so I assume maintenance would be the same.

Spendless

Isn't the official line (from the CSA, or whatever it's called nowadays) that it's paid whilst CB can still be claimed for?

Guest101

There's a number of ways it can be paid.


You're right about the guidelines, but if there is a court order as part of a divorce, that might mean its paid longer

HappyMJ

Chucky1234 wrote: »

Hi guys, hope I've got the right forum.

Quick question regarding child maintenance.

Child in question is 18 and just finished full time education at college. Does not yet have a job.

One parent thinks child support should be paid until September, the other thinks it ends now.

Can anyone clear it up for me please?

Even though they appear to have left school the payment in most cases for both child benefit, child tax credits and therefore child maintenance does continue until the end if August or until either the child gets a job, gets married, leaves home or claims benefits in their own right such as job seekers allowance.

Every case is different. I would just pay until the end of August anyway.

If proof is provided that the child will continue in non-advanced education payment can continue for another year.

As has been stated a divorce settlement might require payment if the child continues even in university education but that would be rare.

clearingout

If you don't pay it till the end of August, the CMS will happily oblige you to.

CuppaTea

My SIL recently informed me that her child tax credits for her eldest child ceased when she turned 16 even though she is still in FT education and is now in Y12. I thought tax credits carried on until the child didn't legally have to be in education which is now 17 or 18?

Sorry OP slightly off topic from your question, but I hope still relevant.

anna_1977

CuppaTea wrote: »

My SIL recently informed me that her child tax credits for her eldest child ceased when she turned 16 even though she is still in FT education and is now in Y12. I thought tax credits carried on until the child didn't legally have to be in education which is now 17 or 18?

Sorry OP slightly off topic from your question, but I hope still relevant.

Your SIL needs to go back to tax credits - I can only see they would have stopped if the earnings were above the threshold or maybe if she had a massive over payment and agreed to repay.

My daughter has just completed A levels and CTB and CB continues until 31 August like others have said

CuppaTea

Many thanks for that advice. I will pass it on.

It was a concern to me as I was wondering how I was going to manage when I got to that stage, but it might not apply to me.