When does full-time education end ?

[FierceAtFifty]

My ex has paid maintenance sporadically over the last 15 years. When he got a high paid job 4 years ago I went to the CSA and got paid through them and then through direct pay. My daughter is 18 & has just finished her A-level exams. He was due to pay maintenance today but hasn’t done so. I think his legal obligation stops when school finishes. Not when the exams do. Is there a guidance document or official site that states the right time clearly ? Even if I tell him he won’t believe it unless I can show him something officially.

Most of my friends in this position had their payments stopped once the child was either 18, or in full time employment, or finished school after their last exam.

Is dc planning to go on to uni or college? I think official school leaving date is end June.

Maintenance can be paid through CMS until the day before the 20th birthday if the child remains in non-advanced education . Non advanced is usually up to A level . Maintenance should continue until the terminal date which is usually the first Monday in September unless the child starts full time work with no intention of returning to education.
Court orders could last until age 21 or even beyond if education continues.

Information should be on CMS website.

I agree re first Monday in September when non advanced education finishes.

It's September for kids going to uni this year. I know because XH is a month in arrears and so phoned CMS and they told me.

Thanks everyone so far. I can’t see anything useful on the CMS website but will do like Twinkie1 and call them and see if they can show me something online I can send him or if they can contact him about it.

It is definitely in September, as the school year only ends when the next one begins, so at the end of the summer holidays.

My ex pulled this stunt. Child benefit is payable until September and child maintenance is payable while there is eligibility for Child Benefit. So child maintenance is due until September, unless the child does another year of study up to A level, in which case it stops when they're 20. CMS sorted this out for me and told him he had to keep paying.

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).
Education stops when they no longer attend school on a regular basis, so before exams generally.
It used to be after spring bank holiday.

Sorry, first part copy and paste from government website.

Thank you @gettingtherequickly - do you have a link please ?

The CSA know this just ring them up and tell them he's failed to pay.

It doesn't stop before exams, nor immediately after. It's end of August/beginning of September, depending on how the calendar falls.

But CMS know this well and all the many scams these losers try and pull.

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

Sorry, I do think parents should pay maintenance right through to uni, then support the child through uni, but the facts are that as soon as a school is no longer responsible for a childs attendance, then they are off the School roll.

That's factually incorrect. It's payable until the end of the academic year.

Does it still need to be paid if teen is going an nvq? I'm confused by what I read on different sites? DH wants to stop giving money to his ex and pay it to his DD directly but the ex seems to think she'll be getting money until kingdom come

NVQ up to and including Level 3. Lol at 'until kingdom come'.

It's connected to child benefit. If a child is leaving full time education to go to uni then benefit will stop at the end of August

Having just had this very discussion on the phone with the CMS today, it’s definitely 31 Aug after they leave school. Gettingtherequicklys quote is exactly what it says on the .gov.uk website.

FFS Fred West living up to your namesake much? Reviving a 16 month old thread?

Just wanted to mention (in case anyone reading this recently unearthed specimen takes at face value what the thread says) that whilst CMS maintenance ends at the end of Secondary Education or age 20 (whichever occurs earlier), it can be replaced by a court order for child maintenance on the application of the child. This form of maintenance will last usually until the end of first degree.