Can a 17 year old get UC?

Haribo1

My 17 year old daughter completed her first year of college this year and is due to start another 2 year course in September. She has suffered with anxiety throughout and I'm surprised that she managed to complete the first year to be honest. Things have since escalated and she's having daily panic attacks and is unable to leave the house so we can't see her being able to start back college come September. Would she be eligible for Universal Credit or is she too young?

Thanks for any replies

poppy12345

Haribo1 said:

My 17 year old daughter completed her first year of college this year and is due to start another 2 year course in September. She has suffered with anxiety throughout and I'm surprised that she managed to complete the first year to be honest. Things have since escalated and she's having daily panic attacks and is unable to leave the house so we can't see her being able to start back college come September. Would she be eligible for Universal Credit or is she too young?

Thanks for any replies

If she doesn't return to college in September then yes, with a fit note from her GP she can claim UC. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility

She will need to report a health condition when she claims.

Haribo1

Thank you Poppy

Alice_Holt

"You will usually only be able to claim Universal Credit if you are aged 18 or over, but some people aged 16 or 17 can get it, depending on their circumstances."

Those circumstances being - 

" The minimum age to claim Universal Credit is generally 18 but in some circumstances the minimum age is lowered to 16 where a person:

1. has limited capability for work;
2. is awaiting an assessment to determine whether they have limited capability for work and has a statement given by a registered medical practitioner which provides that the person is not fit for work;
3. has regular and substantial caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person;
4. is responsible for a child;
5. is a member of a couple the other member of which is responsible for a child or a qualifying young person (but only where the other member meets all the basic conditions of UC entitlement);
6. is pregnant, and it is 11 weeks or less before her expected week of confinement, or was pregnant and it is 15 weeks or less since the date of her confinement;
7. is without parental support

A young person is without parental support if they are not being looked after by a local authority and they:

• have no parent; or
• can't live with their parents because they are estranged from them, there is a serious risk to their physical or mental health, or they would suffer significant harm if they lived with them; or
• are living away from their parents, and neither parent is able to support them financially because the parent has a physical or mental impairment, is detained in custody pending trial or sentence upon conviction or under a sentence imposed by a court, or is prohibited from entering or re-entering Great Britain.

If you are a care leaver, 3, 6 and 7 do not apply."

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/claims-by-16-and-17-year-olds


My understanding is that demonstrating "limited capability for work" can be difficult / involve DWP bureaucracy.


Is she in receipt of PIP (or DLA) ?

Haribo1

No she gets nothing at the moment Alice, we were getting child benefit and tax credits for her.

poppy12345

Alice_Holt said:

1. is awaiting an assessment to determine whether they have limited capability for work and has a statement given by a registered medical practitioner which provides that the person is not fit for work;

This part here maybe an issue because before you claim UC you are not waiting for an assessment. Whether they accept her as waiting when she claims, i don't know.

If her claim is refused based on the waiting then a claim for New style ESA is they way to go but because this is a Contributions based benefit then she will receive no money and it will be a NI credits only claim. Once the claim is active then she should be able to claim UC because she will be waiting for the assessment.

If you haven't looked at the PIP criteria, i'd advise you to do that as well. For this she must have had the condition for at least 3 months and expect it to last at least a further 9 months.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

This link may also be helpful to give you a better understanding of the PIP descriptors and criteria.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

It's also worth remembering that you don't need a diagnosis to claim PIP because it's all about how your conditions affect you.

Alice_Holt

Haribo1 said:

No she gets nothing at the moment Alice, we were getting child benefit and tax credits for her.

    Per poppy,  PIP could well be worth looking into for her.

     https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/rights-restrictions/money-benefits-and-employment/personal-independence-payment-pip/

Haribo1

Thank you both

Haribo1

We applied for UC for my daughter and even though we had a fit note she was turned down. They said because she is only 17 and not receiving pip and is living at home, she is not entitled

Spoonie_Turtle

Haribo1 said:

We applied for UC for my daughter and even though we had a fit note she was turned down. They said because she is only 17 and not receiving pip and is living at home, she is not entitled

Is she still in full-time education?

Haribo1

No. She finished college as her anxiety is that bad. She won't leave the house