DLA and ESA .............

[frazzledbutcalm]

Need some help and advice please. We receive DLA for dd1 who is 16 next week. She can't decide on whether to go to college or start an apprenticeship. She;s been offered a place on both so she's in an extremely lucky position!

I've read that she can claim ESA if she's at college because of her DLA. I can't find any exact info though on any websites. Can anyone shed any light please? Also, if she chose the apprenticeship could she claim ESA?

TIA

She can only claim ESA if you aren't receiving child benefit for her, so in effect not be in education that qualifies you to receive child benefit. So it will depend on the course etc. you'd have to check whether you'd still get child benefit or not for her first.

She might be able to get ESA if it's counted as what they call 'permitted work' you'd need to speak to ESA about it as it will depend on money earnt, amongst other criteria.

I'd ring DWP and double check with them as a hyperthetical situation and see what they say.

I claimed ESA for our daughter, when she was 18 (nobody told me about it until then). She was still in school. She is now in a specialist FE college, doing a full time course 38 weeks of the year. I wrote to the Benefits Agency, to say we did not want child benefit any more. She is in the support group for ESA with the severe disability premium, and gets £125 per week - far more than child benefit. There is some basic information on here:

www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility:

"You can apply for ESA if you’re employed, self-employed, unemployed or a student on Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment."

Disabled students in receipt of DLA get placed in the income support group - they should not have to go through the Work Capability Assessment.

When she was in school, and I was in the process of applying for ESA, as she also got DLA, she qualified for the bursary (the remnant of EMA) of around £1,200 pa. The school used it to buy some software, an Ipad and camera for her - which they used in the classroom a lot apparently:

www.gov.uk/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students

Thank you both for your replies. I'm still very confused
I think I'll speak to either Citizens Advice, her colleges Learning Support team or a disability worker from an online advice centre ...

This really is all alien to me

We were told that you can't claim ESA on an Apprenticeship scheme as the hours are longer than permitted (you can claim up if working up to 16 hours a week and below £104) but I would check with DWP as it might depend on each apprenticeship. We looked at them for DS2 but he isn't quite able enough so is hoping to go on Mencaps traineeship instead.

We were able to claim ESA for him throughout college. Also the College bursary (which generally no one tells you about..I found out from another parent) of £1200 which nicely paid for all his lunches and trips out!

Anomia, I am just about to start looking at specialist colleges for my daughter. Was it difficult to get your local authority to fund your daughter's place?

A bit. The local mainstream FE college refused to offer her a place. It then took a solicitor's letter to get the LA to agree to the specialist FE college place - but then they agreed 3 years.

Do you have an EHC plan? If so, your daughter could potentially continue at a specialist FE college until she is 25, depending on what you all want, and if they do courses for that long.