XH's maintenance for Apprentice son

[123LiloLill]

My son is 16, he has just started his apprenticeship. He gets apprentice wage of £140 a week. Because he is doing an apprenticeship Child Benefit and Tax Credits have stopped being paid to me for him. His apprentice wage is much less than the CB and Tax credits added up to. My son is going to make a contribution to his keep out of his wage.

Ex Husband (self employed) usually pays maintenance of £160 a month (private arrangement, not CSA). He now says he doesn't have to pay me any maintenance because out son is earning.

I do not work (long term medical condition) and this is really stressing me out. How can I put it to my ex husband that now, rather than being better off because our son is receiving a wage, there is much less money to support him, and actually his maintenance payments are more needed than ever.

i appreciate how stressful this is, but if your son is working and paying you rent it’ll cost you less.

The child support has to end at some point.

Tell your son's father exactly what you've said here.

Legally he didn't have to pay anymore and the child maintenance was always going to stop. Your son is not longer in full time education and is earning. I realise it's difficult but this would happen now or when he turned 18 once he left full-time education. The money is to support the children not pay for cost of living. You can speak to ex but he's under no obligation to give you anything but may want to contribute to his son as he's a low wage. Eg pay his bus pass to work or something

I agree it should continue till he's finished the apprenticeship as is post 16 compulsory education/training. It doesn't sound like your X agrees though, have you looked at CSA guidance is in this?

How did you get tax credits if you don't work? I thought you had to be in employment to receive them.
The money off your Ex was for his son, he is now earning more than 4x what the exs contribution was. Child benefit is for children still in FTE. Surely none of this comes as a surprise? If you're unable to work and in receipt of DLA/ PIP then does this need to be reassessed now that your income has changed?

I would think that as DS is in training as an apprentice, then he would be classed as in education. I would’ve expected the maintenance to continue until he is 18, not 16, in these circumstances.

If you phone child maintenance options they can tell you if you’re still entitled.

Things sound really tough for you, hope you manage to get things sorted.

SoonToBe60 it’s child tax credits, not working tax credits.

Very difficult situation but inevitable unless your son was still in education. Can you speak to your ex about your financial situation, are things amicable?

I thought apprenticeships counted as education, probably worth checking.

Hi 123 - that’s tough - you can ask ex for help with bus fares and clothes perhaps.
Re yourself are you getting the full range of benefits eg PIP? If you get PIP do you get severe disability premium - your local welfare rights can be helpful.
Re your property do you own it - could you downsize.
To the poster who enquired re tax credits - you don’t need to work to get child tax credit.

Apprenticeships are a very grey area. They count as being 'in education or training' for the government 'staying on at school until 18' bit. But for other things they don't. My 18yo for example couldn't get free prescriptions whereas an 18yo at university could (I think). Despite the fact that she was on < £4 / hour.

Can you give your ex H as sheet showing household income lost v household income gained? Though I guess even then you would need a plan for when your DS turns 16.

I had this last year, thankfully XH said he would continue to pay maintenance for the first year of DS' apprenticeship.

My child benefit and tax credits went down quite a bit (I still have a younger child), it made a serious dent in family finances.

I can imagine it puts some families in serious financial peril if they lose CB / TC / HB etc as the apprentice wage just about covers the cost of their clothes, travel to work, cost of college books, uniform etc.

What plans did you make for the time when child related income will stop? I'm in the same boat, but my children are a lot younger. When my children grow up my income will half. It's a scary thought, but I'm making plans so the impact won't be so bad.

I thought child tax credit for one child was £60pw when you're not working? Apologies if I'm wrong but I've been in that position myself and that's what I got. So his wage should more than cover that?

Have you spoke to the child maintenance agency? I've got a feeling that if they're in education or training (and I think apprenticeship counts as training) then he's meant to pay until your son is 19.

I know a couple of people in similar circumstances and that's what they've been told.

Depends on apprenticeship. Some count and some don't . You need to check bit I'm pretty sure that they do not count. Ring up or look online