Universal Credit Help Needed

kingalison

Hello I am new on her and this is my first post.

I am a single mum of 3 children age of children 15 8 and 6 years old. I currently recieve UC child benefit DLA for my oldest child as he has special needs. My 2 younger children are educated in school but my oldest is home educated due to his anxiety.

My question is that my 15 year old will be turning 16 in 6 months time will i still be able to claim UC for him in my claim and child benefit ? As he will not be going to collage or further education because he is not able to.

I would be very greatfull if someone could help

Thanks

pmlindyloo

Not a lot of good information about home schooling re child benefit and Universal Credit but the little information I could find suggests that home schooling does count in the eligibility criteria for both child benefit and your Universal Credit claim.

child_benefit_factsheet.pdf (educationotherwise.org)

Please be aware that your son will move to PIP when he reaches 16 years of age.  A letter will be sent before his 16th birthday about this.

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

Because he will move to PIP on his 16th birthday and receive this benefit in his own right I am wondering whether it might be appropriate for you to become his appointee (ie. deal with his benefits for him)?  Certainly something to consider for the future.  Of course I do not know the extent of his difficulties and whether this may be necessary.

There is a very good website that has a phone line that you can call and ask for advice.

I will try and find it.

Disabled Students Helpline | Disability Rights UK

sammyjammy

Will he continue to be home educated until he is 18?  Your post implies not and it will make a difference to entitlement

poppy12345

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

That's not correct, if the child has parental support and they are a student, even with a PIP/DLA award. If the child remains in full time non advanced education the child element will continue.

However, it's not clear in the OP comment, if they will continue to be home schooled from September.

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

That's not correct, if the child has parental support, even with a PIP/DLA award. If the child remains in full time non advanced education the child element will continue.

However, it's not clear in the OP comment, if they will continue to be home schooled from September.

I'm not fully versed in the intricacies of young people claiming but this is what I've found so far:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907997/adme1.pdf

Minimum age
E1024 There are circumstances when the minimum age for entitlement can be 16.
These circumstances are where a person
1. has LCW (see ADM Chapter G2: Limited capability for work) or
2. is awaiting assessment for LCW and has a medical certificate saying that the person is not fit for work or 
…

So I don't think DLA/PIP is necessarily relevant here.  If they are staying in full-time education then it's a lot more complicated.

[The issue about having to claim ESA to have a WCA before being able to claim UC I think only applies if the young person is in full-time education.  If they are not, it would appear they may be able to claim UC whilst waiting for a WCA (if I've understood correctly).]

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

That's not correct, if the child has parental support, even with a PIP/DLA award. If the child remains in full time non advanced education the child element will continue.

However, it's not clear in the OP comment, if they will continue to be home schooled from September.

I'm not fully versed in the intricacies of young people claiming but this is what I've found so far:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907997/adme1.pdf

Minimum age
E1024 There are circumstances when the minimum age for entitlement can be 16.
These circumstances are where a person
1. has LCW (see ADM Chapter G2: Limited capability for work) or
2. is awaiting assessment for LCW and has a medical certificate saying that the person is not fit for work or 
…

So I don't think DLA/PIP is necessarily relevant here.  If they are staying in full-time education then it's a lot more complicated.

[The issue about having to claim ESA to have a WCA before being able to claim UC I think only applies if the young person is in full-time education.  If they are not, it would appear they may be able to claim UC whilst waiting for a WCA (if I've understood correctly).]

My comment quoting PMlindyloo was related to the child remaining in full time non advanced education, they can't claim UC, even with a PIP/DLA award. They would need to go down the New style ESA route as you mentioned.

If the child continues to be home schooled then yes child element will continue. Even if the child could claim UC the parents benefits would stop, which would leave them worse off financially as a family.

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

That's not correct, if the child has parental support, even with a PIP/DLA award. If the child remains in full time non advanced education the child element will continue.

However, it's not clear in the OP comment, if they will continue to be home schooled from September.

I'm not fully versed in the intricacies of young people claiming but this is what I've found so far:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907997/adme1.pdf

Minimum age
E1024 There are circumstances when the minimum age for entitlement can be 16.
These circumstances are where a person
1. has LCW (see ADM Chapter G2: Limited capability for work) or
2. is awaiting assessment for LCW and has a medical certificate saying that the person is not fit for work or 
…

So I don't think DLA/PIP is necessarily relevant here.  If they are staying in full-time education then it's a lot more complicated.

[The issue about having to claim ESA to have a WCA before being able to claim UC I think only applies if the young person is in full-time education.  If they are not, it would appear they may be able to claim UC whilst waiting for a WCA (if I've understood correctly).]

My comment quoting PMlindyloo was related to the child remaining in full time non advanced education, they can't claim UC, even with a PIP/DLA award. They would need to go down the New style ESA route as you mentioned.

If the child continues to be home schooled then yes child element will continue. Even if the child could claim UC the parents benefits would stop, which would leave them worse off financially as a family.

Ah, I really didn't make that connection, thanks for clarifying!

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

I also have a feeling that a 16 year old receiving PIP could make a claim for Universal Credit in their own right but would have to go through a work capability assessment in order to receive this.  Hopefully someone else can confirm.

That's not correct, if the child has parental support, even with a PIP/DLA award. If the child remains in full time non advanced education the child element will continue.

However, it's not clear in the OP comment, if they will continue to be home schooled from September.

I'm not fully versed in the intricacies of young people claiming but this is what I've found so far:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907997/adme1.pdf

Minimum age
E1024 There are circumstances when the minimum age for entitlement can be 16.
These circumstances are where a person
1. has LCW (see ADM Chapter G2: Limited capability for work) or
2. is awaiting assessment for LCW and has a medical certificate saying that the person is not fit for work or 
…

So I don't think DLA/PIP is necessarily relevant here.  If they are staying in full-time education then it's a lot more complicated.

[The issue about having to claim ESA to have a WCA before being able to claim UC I think only applies if the young person is in full-time education.  If they are not, it would appear they may be able to claim UC whilst waiting for a WCA (if I've understood correctly).]

My comment quoting PMlindyloo was related to the child remaining in full time non advanced education, they can't claim UC, even with a PIP/DLA award. They would need to go down the New style ESA route as you mentioned.

If the child continues to be home schooled then yes child element will continue. Even if the child could claim UC the parents benefits would stop, which would leave them worse off financially as a family.

Ah, I really didn't make that connection, thanks for clarifying!

Reading my reply again i was probably not very clear, so i've edited my comment to make it more clear.

kingalison

sammyjammy said:

Will he continue to be home educated until he is 18?  Your post implies not and it will make a difference to entitlement

I don't really know yet if I should or not but I am thinking is that if I do end his education. And he claims UC in his own name im financialy going to struggle as will loose the disability element on my UC claim.

Is there any other way of keeping him on the claim untill he is 19?

Spoonie_Turtle

kingalison said:

sammyjammy said:

Will he continue to be home educated until he is 18?  Your post implies not and it will make a difference to entitlement

I don't really know yet if I should or not but I am thinking is that if I do end his education. And he claims UC in his own name im financialy going to struggle as will loose the disability element on my UC claim.

Is there any other way of keeping him on the claim untill he is 19?

Finances are understandably a consideration, but have you asked him what he might want to do?

kingalison

Spoonie_Turtle said:

kingalison said:

sammyjammy said:

Will he continue to be home educated until he is 18?  Your post implies not and it will make a difference to entitlement

I don't really know yet if I should or not but I am thinking is that if I do end his education. And he claims UC in his own name im financialy going to struggle as will loose the disability element on my UC claim.

Is there any other way of keeping him on the claim untill he is 19?

Finances are understandably a consideration, but have you asked him what he might want to do?

He has global developmental and intellectual delay. I have asked him but he does not understand a bit of a difficult one.