does anyone know what happens to tax credits/ housing benefit etc, when offspring goes to university?

[NoahVale]

are we in for another shocker as we try and support offspring who is away from home?

do i have to tell tax credit/housing benefit people ?

Yes you have to tell them. Tax credits stop anyway at 18/post school.

Yes you have to tell them. When my ds left college I assumed that the tax credits people would know as I had previously given them the course dates etc but they don't just stop the payments and then I had to pay back a few months worth

i normally have to remind them that Yes, they Are in continuing education, so I guess they assume she isnt. but, good idea, come August/September I will have to make sure

It's renewal time isn't it so do it now.

oh good point,I must also renew

My renewal already states no DS from 31 August

As soon as DC enter tertiary education, tax credits stop regardless of age, so that would be HNC, HND, degree level or the equivalent things in BTec. You have to tell them every year after a child turns 16 about their education or payments will automatically stop anyway.

We got an extra 20 weeks CTC by getting DS to register with our local Connexions after his college course finished.

Re Housing benefits, if your child leaving puts you into the under-occupied and eligible for bedroom tax, you can appeal that, write to them and state they will be returning home in the holidays. You definitely need to state that exactly or they get pissy with you and put down they've just moved out. (I speak from experience). Tax credits and child benefit for them stops, but they don't pay council tax.

If they return home, don't claim anything and have no money coming in, housing benefit might hit you with a non-dependent reduction, so you pay for the fecker to live at home for nothing (I speak from experience again).

thanks for that info.
we wont be under-occupied, unless DS also moves out, officially. but yes, I will bear in mind that I need to inform them that they will be back for the long holidays