Will I lose the child element if my daughter starts working alongside attending college?

linzie78

Hi, I receive universal credit and I get the child element added to it as my daughter is in full time college. She has recently applied for a part time job and has been successful and her start date will be within around the next 4/5 weeks as they are waiting for a DBS check on her. She will be earning around 168.96 per week. Will I lose the child element of my universal credit because she will be working, even though she will still be in full time education as well? Thanks for your help.

linzie78

Is anyone able to help with this please? 

Sue_Alumni

Hi

Your UC is not affected by your child’s income.  You will get the child element in your UC for her provided she is under 20 and counts as a “qualifying young person” under UC rules.  This includes most young people studying for their GCSEs or A levels or who are doing approved training.  Hope this helps. 

linzie78

Thank you so much for replying! She hasn’t started yet as she is waiting for a DBS check. She is in full time college and will be leaving in a couple of months or so. She turns 19 in august this year. I still get child benefit for her too. Am I right in thinking I will continue to get child benefit and the child element of universal credit until 31st august this year even if she finishes college and her exams earlier, possibly June time? If successful in her job she will only be working 16 hours until she leaves full time college anyway. Should I advise UC and child benefit if/when she gets the job though? Thanks again for your help. 

poppy123456

Sue_Scope said:

Hi

Your UC is not affected by your child’s income.  You will get the child element in your UC for her provided she is under 20 and counts as a “qualifying young person” under UC rules.  This includes most young people studying for their GCSEs or A levels or who are doing approved training.  Hope this helps. 

The rules for UC are different to tax credits and child benefit. For UC the child element only continues until the 31st August following their 19th birthday, if they remain in full time non advanced education.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/child-over-16

@Linzie78 I don't know about the child element of UC. For child benefit, it depends on when her college course ends...

When approved education or training ends

When your child leaves approved education or training, payments will stop at the end of February, 31 May, 31 August or 30 November (whichever comes first).

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

linzie78

Thanks so much for your help, poppy. 

calcotti

I still find the school leavers rules very confusing.

Sue_Alumni

Hi

Just to add to what poppy123456 and linzie78 have posted.

Child benefit

If your daughter leaves college in June or July this summer, she will count as a “Qualifying Young Person” for Child Benefit purposes until what is referred to as the “Terminal Date” and in this situation the Terminal Date will be 31 August 2022.

But! Under the Terminal Date rule a child does not count as a qualifying young person for Child Benefit purposes if she leaves non–advanced education and starts remunerative employment and a claimant’s Child Benefit will be affected.  However, remunerative work means that the young person works 24 hours a week or more and the work is done in expectation of payment. So, in your situation, if your daughter finishes college in, say, June and increases her hours to 24 or more, your entitlement to Child Benefit will stop and you should notify HMRC of change in circumstances.  

UC

The rules are slightly different and simpler. A “Qualifying Young Person” for UC is someone who is between 16 and 20 up to but not including the 1 September following their 19th birthday provided they were enrolled on a course of non advanced education.  As your daughter was enrolled at college before her 19th birthday you will get the child element for her up to and including the 1 September following her 19th birthday.

linzie78

Thats a great help, sue! Thank you so much. 

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @linzie78. It is the very least you deserve. How are you doing at the moment? I hope you are doing well but if you need anything we are all here for you and listening to you 

CharlesMullen

This excellent article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_plan

poppy123456

Leta_Boucher said:

When your daughter starts her part-time job and begins earning £168.96 per week, it could potentially affect your Universal Credit, specifically the child element.

This thread is from March 2022 and your advice is not correct at all. As you can see from the previous comments in the thread, if you read them. A qualifying young person that works while their parents are still claiming child element for them will not affect their UC. Their payments will continue as normal.

Leta_Boucher said:

In the UK, Universal Credit takes into account the income and circumstances of all household members.

That's not quite correct either. In some situations UC doesn't take into consideration all household members. 

For example, if a couple have 2 adult children living with them then their UC will not take into consideration their circumstances unless the parents are claiming help with any rent and then there maybe a non dependant deduction, if the adults are over the age of 21 and working. Unless either of the parents are claiming either daily living PIP, DLA mid/high rate care or ADP daily living, in which case there will be no non dependant deductions. 

If their children are under the age of 21 then there will be no non dependant deductions, regardless of their Income. There will also be no non dependant deductions if their adult son or daughter are claiming a qualifying disability benefit i mentioned above.

If no help with the rent is being claimed there will be no non dependant deductions at all.

If there are non dependant deductions it's a stardard amount of £85.73/month for each adult son/daughter. Full details of non dependant deductions can be seen here. https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/benefits/universal_credit/deductions_from_universal_credit_for_non-dependants

Mulitple people can live together in the same house but are not part of the same household for benefits purposes. I live with my adult daughter, we both have disabilities. I claim ESA and PIP and she claims UC and PIP. My benefits are mine and hers are her own, we are not part of the same household for either of our benefits entitlement.

It's important when giving benefits advice that the information you give isn't misleading because members could read this and think it's correct but it isn't.