Child maintenance - college and turning 18

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One of My Dc is going to college this year to do a level 3 full time course, will be just turned 18 (August bday) so it is free tuition fee for 1 more year

DC will have finished A Levels soon and wants to do something completely different educationally before deciding if going to uni in 2023. DC didn’t want a gap year and not keen on their A level subjects, this is a specialist college, and would need this level 3 course to get onto any of the degree courses they are considering or the area of employment.

I gather this means I get child benefit for 1 more year until the term DC turns 19 and leaves further education (July 2023)

Ex has paid 15 years of the exact same amount of maintenance (at least 1/3 of what he should pay 🙄) which I give straight to DC for travel/food/books and would continue to do so as new college is much further away. DC does also have a small part time job, they earn more working one day a week than their father pays per week in maintenance

Ex has not approached me about stopping maintenance when DC is 18, but keeps asking the DC if he can stop. DC asked me not to talk to him about it as it’s ‘awkward’. Yes it is awkward

Do I just let it end and make do without it? Or do ask he keeps paying it?

From the gov.uk website:

Approved education
Education must be full-time (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:

A levels or similar, for example Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
T levels
Scottish Highers
NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
home education - if it started before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
traineeships in England
Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or ‘advanced’, for example a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate.

Tell the Child Benefit Office if your child is:

staying in approved education
leaving approved education
Your child must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19.

Approved training
Approved training should be unpaid and can include:

Foundation Apprenticeships or Traineeships in Wales
Employability Fund programmes in Scotland
PEACE IV Children and Young People 2.1, Training for Success, or Skills for Life and Work in Northern Ireland
Courses that are part of a job contract are not approved.

Sounds like the level 3 is covered. More info here: www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

Don't let him stop paying when he hasn't paid properly anyway!!

If going through CSA it's payable as long as child benefit is payable. So for up to three years of non-advanced further education, which can take them to age 19/20 depending on when they start. If they stop FE or move to HE before this, both CB and CM stop.

It's full time further education not higher education.

College course is free and a level 3 course is classed as further education not higher. Higher would be HNC and above (HND, diploma, level 4 anything, degree etc)

It’s not through CSA, it’s our own agreement. I can either just let him know he needs to keep paying or I can start a claim but they will take some of it will they?

My ex just stopped paying as soon as my 2 turned 18.