CMS age limit

Hmm 21 year old DS. In last 5 years he's worked at McDonald's for 2.5 of them since 16 ( min of 16 hours term time and 30 plus in holidays). Then at a nightclub for a year. Now a duty manager job in a hotel ( 20 hour contract, offered more hours virtually every week) .

He's also done 2 years of college and in his 3rd year of uni.

There are jobs out there if you are not too fussy and prepared to work

I think there is confusion as to what FE & HE are, FE is anything up and to a level 3 qualification, HE is level 4 and above.

Both youngsters going to uni or to vocational training will have done level 3 in some form, from level 4 (which is then HE) there is almost always some funding mechanism available be it a student loan, bursary or the paid component of an apprenticeship.

We tend to just think of HE as university education, but that is not correct, both of the main non university based programmes, BTEC and City & Guilds go up to beyond bachelors degree level. BTEC runs to Level 7 equivalent to a masters and City and Guild to level 8 equivalent to Doctoral.

Hence CMS ends at this point.

In theory.

in practice, lots of students try and fail to get work. If this happens, and they can’t contribute, it is currently the RP bearing that costs.

There are many NRPs who acknowledge this and continue to contribute (either directly to the child or to the RP). But if not, then the NRP is stuck with the costs. Unless (s)he makes the DC homeless.

Yes, that's what I meant, they can work while at Uni.

They're entitled to UC or to get a job at 18-25..

They may not be in a position to move out, but they can contribute to the household.

My understanding is CMS is only payable until 20 if they are in further education eg retaking a levels and not if they are in higher education such as university

Im perfectly independent thanks, but they aren't
So focus on helping them to become so. What are their friends doing?

The vast majority of my friends' uni kids worked, even when they were able to support them, because the kids wanted to work and have a bit more pocket money anyway.

There definitely are jobs available for uni students. Some places better than others. This criteria should be part of the decision as to which uni to pick.

I think YABU, young adults should be working alongside university, CMS is already payable until 20 while they study, that's long enough. I have been a single parent, got £5 a week from dosser exh, then our teen moved in with him and I had to pay quite a bit of my FT min wage so see it from both sides.

My ex paid them directly i should add, they had access to both houses and because they mostly were with me he voluntarily sent me £300 a month but should be voluntary because not all dc have same set up

So only adults who go to uni should continue to get CMS? Only the smartest. Not every teenager is going to university.

I think there will be a rethink on the proposed changes tbh in regards to those with severe disability ,my son has similar disabillities ,they are in a rather unique postion as there is no way they can get a job at 18 and support themselves it would be punitive to penslise them

While I can see your point, we also need to be realistic.

We are talking about adults. Of course decent parents will want to ensure they give their child the best start in life, support them during those fledgling years, contribute towards university if relevant, provide a roof and food while they are finding work or earning a very low income. But I do t think it can be mandatory.

Single mothers work 16 hours in Tesco and manage to support themselves and a child. A 23 year old living with his dad can't manage on £200 a week?

For higher education parents should support their dc directly not via their ex partner. You can’t make even resident parents fund university

As a mum of 4 DC late teens /early 20s I whole heartedly agree. CMS should be paid until they graduate or finish an apprenticeship.
If this is too hard to administer then age should raise until 21 and perhaps between ages of 18-21 be paid directly to young person. Any responsible parent doesn't pull up the drawbridge at 18.

@Chaseandstatus sorry… their dad is still paying 50% of the previous maintenance amount for 2 adults and you think he is the problem??

Why aren’t your 18 & 20 year olds earning anything or contributing to their own costs?

Child maintenance, like child benefit is not stopped at 18 if they are in further education. It's 20.

No

My son is profoundly disabled and has EHC plan and may be in non advanced education until 25. The proposed benefit changes will mean disabled young people losing benefits to cover disability support between 20-22. It would seem sensible to me to extend CM for this group until at least age 22 where remain in higher of further education if one parent is expected to keep supporting the yp at home with all the costs that entails.

Many parents of dc with EHC plans can’t work full time or at all and are expected to take their dc to and from college if they can’t travel independently. So the govt does put expectations on parents they carrying on their parent role for disabled young people until 26.

i can’t see why the benefits bill should soar and single parents with a disabled child live in poverty while the absent parent doesn’t have to pay anything.

It is possible to claim extended CM through courts if you apply before your child is 18 and your child is disabled or going to uni but the courts only seem to do it where it’s a super wealthy family. Usually the parent carer is left in a really precarious position and a huge % live below poverty line which PIP cuts will make worse.

I do manage to work part time alongside caring and so had to make up the shortfall on my other dc student loans. Again why should ex not contribute when he can work full time with no caring responsibilities and earn more than me.

PIP is not for income it covers care and equipment and therapy it’s not supposed to be for basic living costs.

I hear you OP. I’m a single mother, DC are 20 and 18, one stays 2 nights a month at their dads and the other never goes. I pay pretty much everything for everyone, as their start of adulthood has gone in fits and starts and they need steadiness and reliability. Ex pays 50% of what he should do but as it’s only for a few more months it’s not a battle I need to take on.

Maybe it’s my own fault for not picking a decent man to have kids with all those years ago.

But if I can just keep going then in 5 years or so I think I may have adult kids that are independent and happy. And who have not heard me badmouth their dad.

So presumably if the RP gets the young adult to move out they are then also giving them child maintenance until 25? That would be ridiculous and in many cases cause remaining children to suffer financially.
Also do you want CB to carry on until 25?

What about cases where 40 year old Gary never left home. Never flew the nest.

Surely the resident parent is at an advantage as they now have an additional adult in the home who is old enough to share the bills and costs of running a household?