SON IN APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME

[SANDY445]

Hi all, just looking for any advise. 17 year old son is currently doing an Apprentice scheme. Gets paid just under £150 a week, and attends college one day a week, Child benefit agents tell me `as he is getting paid and on a contracted employment, he does not qualify for child benefit.. I ring the DWP benefit fraud to check and then tell me, that it still full-time education, regardless of him being paid. any advise, as I'm really confused, and hoping I'm not frauding the system and have to pay it back. thanks in advanced, x

Mine is also doing an apprenticeship with one day a week in college and 4 days paid work. I am no longer claiming child benefit for him. He’s not at college full time. It also means I now have to pay for stuff lokesight tests, prescriptions etc because not a full time student.

A quick google shows your not entitled to claim it

www.gov.uk/child-benefit/eligibility

If you are in England you are definitely not entitled to CB any more. Check out the link Babyblue posted

An apprenticeship is classed as them being in receipt of their own income as they are employed whilst learning. Chb stops as far as i understand

Not entitled to cb for an apprenticeship.

thanks for your reply, DWP told me, as he is learning on the job its full time education.

Dwp don’t deal with cb, Hmrc do and unfortunately an apprenticeship is not classed as full time employment. It has to be a levels or a low level Btec or similar.

I think it's mad that parents get cb for kids in full time college but not kids at full time uni.

What's the bloody difference??

*education not employment

its NVQ course

What's the bloody difference?? Erm, they are adults at the time they start University courses.

They are minors when they begin Level 3 education.

The right question to ask is "If they have to stay in education until they are 18 then why can't CB be claimed for ALL of the legitimate education streams they have to stay in - Apprenticeships being one of them?"

At the moment Apprenticeships are accepted as one of the supposedly compulsory educations treams... but also as full time work!

I phone the benefit fraud no - 0800 854 440 this afternoon, as was told apprenticeship scheme count as full time education. I will ring again tomorrow, speak to someone else and get a completely diff answer again lol

@ssd well the assumption is that an adult at university is able to get a job alongside studying. College is 16-18, uni is post-18?

The rules are quite clear, he's no longer in education or training. He's in paid employment.

By education it means over 12 hours a week, so his one day at college as part of his apprenticeship doesn't count.

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

Why would you contact the DWP fraud department??

Child Benefit are the ones in the know, they'd already told you you were no longer entitled to claim.

I have just filled in form the HMRC child benefit, General Enquiry online, hopefully I get a quick reply back.

Just not joined up thinking, it's confusing and frustrating. Sadly I think whether they are a considered a child or in education will depend entirely on what best suits the government department you are talking to.
So government wants to save money by not paying child benefit but also wants to keep young people in education and training until 18 , so DWP will say yes an apprenticeship is education so their stats look good but child benefit agency will say no it's not education and you can't claim child benefit. I also think your ds will have to pay for prescriptions and be no longer entitled tofree dentist and optician check ups.

CuriousaboutSamphire, in Scotland they start college and uni at 17 or 18. The kids in college still get cb, the kids in uni don't.

thanks, and there no longer entitled to Child Maintenance payments.

No not entitled to child benefit or tax credits of doing an apprenticeship.

didn't the law change a few years ago, about having to stay in education till they are 18?

My 17 year old ds is in an apprenticeship and I am no longer entitled to CB or tax credits so make sure you tell them too if your in receipt of TC

Only if they didn't have a job to go to, I think.

Can anyone explain why an 18 Yr old still gets cb if they're in full time non advanced further education, but not full time uni?

It’s education or training op.