Working Tax credits plus child benefit

BlueDust

Hi,
I wondered whether you could help clarify whether I have been given the correct information.  My son, who is 17, is registered on a full time Electricians course.  He has completed Level 2 and registered for Level 3 which starts in September.  He has managed to find an apprenticeship and just started.  He will be working full time during the summer holidays and then go down to three days while he is at college.  I contacted Child Benefit to inform them and have been told as long as he stays in full time education we can continue to claim.  I then spent an hour on the phone with the Tax credits as they were unsure whether or not he should continue to be listed on our claim.  They decided to take him off.  I don't want to miss out if we should still be allowed to claim for him but I am also concerned that we are not overpaid or end up being fined if the Child Benefit information is incorrect.  Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks. 

Alice_Holt

Here is some information about CTC for a Qualifying Young Person (QYP) in full time non-advanced education:

"For CTC purposes a child is under the age of 16. CTC can be claimed for a QYP from their 16th birthday until the following 31 August. During this period there is no requirement that the young person be in full time education or training.

From 1 September following the QYP’s 16th birthday CTC can continue if the QYP is under 20 and in full time, non-advanced education, approved training or registered with a qualifying body for work or training (where the education/training is not provided as part of their work).

Full time education

To be in full-time education, the young person must be receiving full-time, non-advanced education. They must be studying at a school or college, or elsewhere providing they were studying there prior to their 16th birthday and it is approved by HMRC or it is part of a Study Programme (England only). The course of study must also not be one that the young person is pursuing because of his or her employment

Full-time study means on average not less than 12 hours a week spent during term-time in tuition, supervised study, exams and practical work. The 12 hours includes gaps between courses, but not meal breaks or periods of unsupervised study or homework undertaken outside normal hours. The Child Tax Credit Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2014) defines full time education as:

‘education received by a person attending a course of education where, in pursuit of that course, the time spent receiving instruction or tuition, undertaking supervised study, examination or practical work or taking part in any exercise, experiment or project for which provision is made in the curriculum of the course, exceeds or exceeds on average 12 hours a week in normal term-time, and shall include gaps between the ending of one course and the commencement of another, where the person is enrolled on and commences the latter course.’

Non-advanced education

A young person is only a QYP if they are in full time education that is not at an advanced level. The legislation does not define non-advanced education, but instead defines advanced education. If the education does not fall under the advanced heading, it is by definition non-advanced. Advanced education means full time education for the purposes of a course in preparation for a degree, a diploma of higher education, a higher national diploma, a higher national diploma or higher national certificate or Edexcel or the Scottish Qualifications Authority, or a teaching qualification. Alternatively it means any other course which is of a standard above ordinary national diploma, a national diploma or national certificate of Edexcel, a general certificate of education (advanced level) or a Scottish national qualifications at higher or advanced higher level.

Non-advanced education includes qualifications such as A-levels (As and A2 levels), Scottish Highers, NVQ at level 3; ordinary national diploma; a national diploma or national certificate of Edexcel; GCSEs; International Baccalaureate; Study Programme (England only); Scottish national qualifications at advanced or higher level."  

https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/entitlement/ctc-elements/#Full time education

Do you still think HMRC have come to the correct CTC decision for the current tax year?