NEET and child tax credits

[Banjolin]

Can anyone help? Big argument brewing as DS17 has left college - A levels just weren't right for him. He is being supported with the careers service and has a place on a different course in September, which is great. In the mean time he is looking for work as he'll need a part time job around college and he wants to work!

But his dad claims child tax credits for him and he's worried it will stop if he does any amount of work at all. Ds has been offered a day's work at a show and his dad is worried the tax credits will be stopped completely for one day's work (obviously won't mind if it is just reduced and then we adjust whatever allowance we're giving him). I've no idea what will happen but I certainly don't want to stop him getting work experience or a part time job that can support him at college. Does anyone have any experience/idea how child tax credit will be affected for one day's work?
TIA

Bump 😊

I'm pretty sure if he is in education but not an apprenticeship then it doesn't effect the tax credits.

He's won't be in education until September, he is NEET at the moment...

Can you claim them if he is NEET?

If he's NEET then he will lose child benefit and tax credits.

There isn't any entitlement to child benefit and child tax credit if he's not in education. Dad needs to inform HMRC that he's left college and reclaim again in September.

Is he signed up with the post 16 team at your local authority? I used to work in this area a couple of years ago and if you signed up you got a period of I think 20 week where you could still claim CB and tax credits. If he has an advisor they should be able to explain this to you.
See apply for an extension : www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

This, thanks. He's signed up, I will ask them.

Be aware if he is NEET CB & CTC end on their 18th birthday, even if this is in the middle of the 20 week run on period.

The working or not working is a complete red herring. The fact he's left education for now means he's not eligible.

What's the course he's starting in September? If it's a degree level apprenticeship, he won't be eligible then either.

In the meantime, if he's registered with Connexions, apply for the extension on the link posted above, and make sure he doesn't exceed 24 hours a week paid work.

If money is that tight for his Dad, get a plan now for how you all will manage when he's 18 or stops being eligible or the extension expires, whichever is first. In my experience, supporting young adults through education gets more expensive, not less 🙈

Thanks all, he's within the 20 week extension period and his dad was told cb and ctc would continue becasue he's under the careers service. I've read that he can work up to 24hr hrs per week, but his dad is under the impression it will stop if he does any work at all. Which seems bonkers! I'd assumed it would be like Universal Credit where any earnings would reduce the amount accordingly, but feeling a bit naive. Surely they can't throw his family into poverty for 1 day's work?

He's been accepted to do a level 3 b-tech course in September, so equivalent to A levels.

I guess he'll just have find a full time job, or do nothing until then, which doesn't feel great. I was hoping a reference from any work he can get would help him get something full time.

A child starts work over 16 hours, then child benefits and tax credits would end for that child, so if he's in the 20 week extension period, not in college, not full time work, his dad will be fine.
HMRC allow children to do part time work, otherwise it would it would be a logistic nightmare for them with all the changes!
He'll be fine for benefits when the September course starts as it's level 3.

Thank you @Thejackrussellsrule! 😊

@Thejackrussellsrule my daughter is 17 & has dropped out of college because of poor mental health. I have a letter from her GP confirming this. I was told to submit this info to HMRC so I could continue claiming CB, but was told I could no longer claim UC but that my daughter could make her own UC claim. This seems baffling to me - is this right? If she makes her own UC claim, she doesn't have any housing costs (she lives with me) & apparently would need to attend a 'fitness to work' interview. This utterly freaks her out due to her mental health, but I'm worried about losing UC income - it makes a different to me as a single mum. Any advice would be so welcome & apologies for hijacking this thread!

Yes either she claims UC and would me expected to look for work or she claims UC, hands in sick notes and waits to be assessed for work capability. If found not capable of work then she will not have to look for work and could potentially get an extra Uc element depending on the outcome of the assessment.

Any level of Apprenticeship, not just degree.

No worries at all @AppleBlossomTimeNow, really sorry to hear about your daughter, it must be a real worry for you. DS was having anxiety attacks at college and the support there was awful. Especially when I think of the support I've received previously through work for similar, I really worry for our young people, coping after covid.

I would hope for your dd they will treat her with a "light touch", certainly for the first few months. Do you think she'd be any happier working than at college?

Thank you @Thejackrussellsrule - that's really helpful. I think she's overwhelmed, exhausted & doesn't have the bandwidth for anything right now. It all feels like a very heavy load for such young shoulders to carry. I'll sit down with her over the weekend & discuss making a UC application. Oof the next generation have a lot to cope with!