Can I claim any benefits for child going to Uni

skegvegas473

My oldest child who is just 18 years old is going to university in September 2024 and I was wondering if there's any benefits we can claim to support her.
We currently get universal credit and family allowance but not sure if/when these stop and if we have to inform them.
Is there anything we can claim to keep her as she's staying at home as we cant afford to send her away to university.
Thanks

Rubyroobs

No as she is an adult so will no longer be on your Uc claim.. She will claim student maintenance loans to support herself and can also get a part time job if needed. I'm not sure when her child element on your UC claim will end but likely 31st August.

poppy12345

Family allowance? That ended many years ago. I think you mean child benefit as well as UC. As she's going to Uni then you will need to report the changes for UC and HMRC and benefits will end for her. 

I would have expected her to have applied for a student loan, has she done that? Even though she's not going away to Uni she can still claim the student loan. Although she would be entitled to less maintenance loan. 

400ixl

As above, has she claimed for the maintenance loan as a student?

She can claim an amount even if she is living at home and attending university.

silvercar

She should claim the maintenance loan from student finance, presumably she has already applied because she will also be taking the tuition fee loan. If she is living at home, it is reasonable for her to make a contribution to the family budget for the extra costs you have because she is living at home.

R200

What happens if the student can’t pay it back? Could she do a DRO?

silvercar

R200 said:

What happens if the student can’t pay it back? Could she do a DRO?

More a question for the student board, but DROs aren't applicable to student loans.

In short, there is no such thing as "can't". If you earn over the threshold for repayments, currently £25,000 a year, then the repayments are taken from your pay. If you don't earn enough, you don't have to pay. Repayments are set at 9% of earnings over £25k. Eventually (after 40 years for the current loan scheme) the loan gets written off. Repayments don't start until the April after leaving university. 

daveyjp

Whoever is in receipt of the child benefit should have had a letter in a few months ago outlining the process now the child has reached 18.

As they are going to Uni payments will stop, probably from 2 September so the last payment will be due soon.