I7 year old starting work- I’m claiming Universal credit

[Polly421]

Hi

I’m hoping someone can help. My son left full time education last month so i contacted UC and it was updated so his child element stopped. He is still is down as listed as a children who live with me as he does but I don’t receive any benefits for him which is fine I understand that. Now he is starting work do I need to do a change of circumstances? As I’ve had a look and I can remove him from my claim but he does still live with me. Or will he stay on my claim until he’s 18? He wasn’t automatically removed when I reported he left school. I’ve been giving mixed messages saying as he’s under 18 he’s still classed as a dependent of mine so him working won’t affect my universal credit. Also been told no to remove him and re-add him as other person who lives with me and he will be liable to pay rent but due to his age won’t be able to claim anything towards housing cost.

So I would appreciate any advice what I should be doing? Anyone had similar experiences and know what to do on my online journal.

thanks

Is it full time work, or a part-time studenty type job?

Full time I’m sure it’s about 30-32 per week

Ah right, because I think a weekend job gets ignored. It’s complicated isn’t it? I think if he isn’t on your claim as a dependant you don’t need to do anything, but I’m not an expert.

My friend said under 21 them working doesn't affect your housing benefit like it did on income support

Have you tried one of the online calculators to see what that says?

It’s really complicated as I’ve spoken to the universal credit helpline and given different advice from them. When I updated them that he was leaving school, the only thing that change was the payment I received for him stopped but they kept him down as child who lives with me due to his age. Child benefit told me last month it would continue until end of term unless he worked more than 24 hours so they have been updated them today as his first training shift was today so that will stop now too. He still down at school officially as part time student as he’s had a lot of mental health issues this past year. School agreed he could continue doing his highers at home and going in every few weeks to keep up to date with the workload to then hopefully go to college or uni next year when he’s got all the grades he needs. I will have a look at the calculator,

@TheSausageKingofChicago @EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall Thank you for advice and for suggesting the calculator. I’ve had a look and inputted his estimated earnings into it and my universal credit isn’t affected. I put him down as non dependant as says only put children I get child benefit for as dependant. So based on that I think now with the child benefit stopping I’ll probably have remove him as child who lives with me to a non dependent that does.

Bit of a shitty thing to say when you have zero idea exactly WHY the op is on benefits.

Wow! What a hideously unpleasant and judgmental thing to say!

Op please ignore the above poster!

If he's still studying for Highers at home, are you sure he's not still a student?

Fantastic that he’s bettering himself and not being held back by his upbringing.

and what exactly do you know about his upbringing?

Wtf is that supposed to mean?
How do you know what the family circumstances are or what his upbringing was like? Lots of working people claim universal credit!

He still down at school officially as part time student as he’s had a lot of mental health issues this past year. School agreed he could continue doing his highers at home and going in every few weeks to keep up to date with the workload to then hopefully go to college or uni next year when he’s got all the grades he needs.

Hes not formally left school then. He’s on a temporary leave of absence and extended schedule due to health reasons. My 16yr old was off school an entire year for medical reasons (it’s why she is 18 going on 19 and in Yr 13). She did have the option of doing A levels in 3yrs instead of 2yrs due to her health, but we decided a full year off was what she needed. I still got child benefit the entire time because a medical leave of absence or extended schedule isn’t formally withdrawing from post 16 education.

The complication is you have him working a PT job (30-32hrs per week is PT)which doesn’t really support the contention he is too unwell for the work of being a student…. Does he need to do this job?

I work full-time and get UC.

How stupid do you sound

My son left full time education last month so i contacted UC and it was updated so his child element stopped

But he hasn’t, he’s still on the schools roll, so he’s still in education. Modified schedule to PT from FT or a leave of absence due to medical reasons doesn’t count as “leaving FT education”. It’s an allowable accommodation for the health condition…which is often also an accommodation for a protected disability. It’s why the state funds the 2yrs of post 16 education for 3yrs, to cover exactly these situations of disabled or unwell kids needing more time.

Your school should have coordinated with the council on this. You need to get him back on as a dependent and in education for UC and child benefit.

He should probably not work though. He should be focussing on his health and getting well enough to finish school before turning 20.

Meowwwww

Hi earnings will not affect your Uc, he is financially seperate to you and you are not receiving any child element for him. He should stay on your claim as a non dependent. If you claim help towards rent then once he turns 21 you will have a non dependent deduction from your rent element if he still lives with you but nothing deducted until then..

Thank you everyone for your replies. I didn’t see what the deleted comment was thankfully. I can see from other comments it something to do with his upbringing. Such a narrow minded comment. My son has a really good upbringing well I think so anyway. And he will continue to do so whether I’m on benefits or not, that to me that’s irrelevant. He’s witnessed me have a really successful career and I would say I’m pretty well educated too. Just because I'm claiming benefits just now doesn’t mean I’ve never worked or won’t return to work at some point. Not that I need to justify myself but my kids need me more the now 24/7 I have younger children with additional needs. So that my priority and if me claiming benefits the now deems my kids to have a terrible upbringing them to me the world has gone mad.

I wasn’t keen for my son to start work just yet but it’s something he wants to try. So I’m doing my best to support his choices whilst he continues to get the grades he need to start the course he wants to next year.

No he’s doesn’t need to work but he’s set on giving it ago. Thankfully his new employers are close family so they are fully aware of the mental health battles he’s been facing lately. For context my son has been diagnosed with body dysmorphia and pure OCD and school became such a big trigger for him. He believes he’s too thin which he isn’t. It then manifest that everyone is looking at him disgusted and the intrusive thought become unbearable for him. Since not attending school and continuing his therapy his confidence is starting to grow and he's starting to love himself again. We’re extremely lucky that because he’s with working with family they are totally focused on trying to help him moving forward. They have agreed to being flexible so he can have the time when he needs it for dropping into school for course work. It might not seem much to others but even sorting his work uniform was a massive thing for my son. They went out their way and discussed with him what uniform they could get him so he would feel comfortable at work really showed how much they want him to succeed. So I’m doing my best in trying to take a wee step back and support him with the choices that he’s making.

Sounds very challenging. Have a chat with the school SENCO though as I still think he hasn’t formally withdrawn from post 16 education so long as he is still on the school roll, his remote working/PT hours are due to legally required accommodation for his mental health disabilities (which they are imho), and he’s on a school approved plan to complete his Highers before turning 20.

So imho you should still be getting UC child element and child benefit for him. Free prescriptions. Etc.

It wasn’t counted as withdrawing from FT education when my DD was off for an entire school year in which she was 16/17. The school worked with the council and such to ensure this was the case for us.

@Onnabugeisha thank you for your advice I will give them a call Monday as I do have regular calls with his pastoral care teacher. Its never been something that I’ve brought up when we’ve discussed him moving to part time schooling. Ive automatically assumed because the term “part time”was continually mentioned that I should update everything regards to the benefits I receive for him. I didn’t want to keep receiving something I believed I wasn’t entitled too as everything online states about full time education for his age to continue payments.