csa, wftc & child benefit - when does it stop?

[pinkbabytots]

My son has decided that he would like to take up an apprenticeship this year when he leaves school. He will only be receiving a wage of approx �70 per week. Will CSA, Working family tax credit & child benefit stop immediately?

Thanks in advance

[Ice.Maiden]

Not sure about the first two, pbt, but I think Child Benefit can be paid until a person's 19, providing they're in full-time education. I'm sure you can google sites which give a guide to all this.

[Richard1966]

All stop at the point he leaves full time education.

[pinkbabytots]

What is the definition of full-time education? What if my son partly works and partly attends college.

[sara3]

there's a difference between full time education and further education. you should check it out with the Child Benefit and Tax Credits people.

in my opinion Richard is right, and your entitlement will cease, but I don't know about the CSA angle.

[Richard1966]

Hi,

Full time education is defined for benefit purposes as up to A levels. An apprenticeship does NOT count as full time education because he is receiving a wage. It is therefore work.

The CSA use the same definition but if you have maintenance through a court order you will need to look at the working of the order as that might specify a specific age or set of circumstances.

[cj57]

a similar thing happened to me when my daughter became a trainee hairdresser earning �55 per week. wftc stopped, as did child benefit, child maintenance from my ex-husband and help with my rent. when yr son is 18 he will also be classed as adult and able to pay council tax, so if you pay 75% at the moment that will also stop. I contacted many govt bodies, but no help was available and in all, I was around �400 per month worse off!

[CathH]

Hi I am in a similar position to cj57 - My son finished A Levels and the maintenance stopped. child benefit and child tax credit also stopped and as he is 18 he is classed as an adult for council tax so that went up.
I am about �350 a month worse off.
He managed to get an apprenticeship paying �80 per week and I got a reduction in Council tax of �3 a month as he is on a low income :-)

[Trixey1970]

My daughter is 19 and still in further education... she's running behind due to ill health... I have now been informed that CSA stopped on her 19th birthday and am struggling to make ends meet. She has a part time job and supports herself with her earnings however I get very little now to help pay for the cost of keeping her and out of what she earns its just not enough to pay me rent. Its not easy asI was made redundant from my job so am temping on a low wage. Its pretty hard and I sympathise with you being a single parent and having the struggle iof trying to help them get a decent education..