Child Tax Credits

[mbrown]

Hello All, I'm sorry if there is a tax credit thread running already but I am wondering if any of you are in the same boat .

 

At this moment in time I receive a very handsome Child Tax Credit. It corresponds to a third of my take home pay.

 

My son aged 15 currently receives DLA, which I am told enhances the child tax credit.

 

My son turns 16 in september. Will that automatically signify the end of the Child Tax Credit or will the fact that he will be still in full time education qualify him in the same way that child benefit can continue beyond 16 fo the same reason?

 

Is there anyone else in the same situation?

 

I can envisage a financial disaster come my boy's 16th birthday. with the possibility of his DLA ending, Child Tax Credit plummeting or stopping altogether along with Mum's carer's allowance stopping. Our household income will shrink drastically.

 

Anyone with any chinks of light out there?

[baranigirl]

cTC will run until 31st August 2011 in your case, I have informed IR that DD1 will be returning to full time education in September and they have marked it on their records, so her part will still continue for another school year (unless she leaves college obviously)

 

DD1 turned 16 last xmas and I have received payments for her all year

 

I don't know about DLA stuf tho x

[chris54]

If your child is in full time education and living with you Child Tax Credits are payed up untill their 20th birthday.

The same goes in most cases for Child benefit.

[mbrown]

Thank you both for your replies. They have helped ease my mind a lot.

[lizj]

You won't necessarily lose the DLA when he reaches 16 either. At 16 he will be regarded as an adult, you have to re-apply for DLA in his own name rather than yours. It is his money, not yours, but you still claim it if he continues to have problems and care or mobility needs. And let's face it, people don't grow out of ASD overnight, do they?

In theory, the DLA at 16+ goes into his bank account, but if you think he is not able to fill in the paperwork or deal with the money, you can ask to have it paid into your bank account, and everything continues just as it was before.

[emmasmum]

Just wanted to add that he may qualify for ESA (employment support allowance) at 16. This is worth just over £50 a week while on the assessment phase and has the potential to go up. Contact a Family have a useful factsheet.

If you apply for ESA in his name you lose child benefit and tax credits.

[mbrown]

Thanks again for those replies. they are helpful. I know I seem like a doom & gloom merchant, but the usual response when describing DS's condition as he gets towards adulthood is " Oh that's just a typical teenager!" Hopefully the DLA board won't think along those same lines, lol.

[Shaunsmum]

I would contact your local Social work services and ask if they have access to benefits advice officers. We have a wonderful lady who helps us fill in any forms we have and will tell you what you're able to apply for and will fill in the forms on your behalf with the information you give them. We don't recieve child tax credits as we still reveive money on our income support for the children, she told me a year ago that it will change on it's own but for now we were better off leaving it as it was. I phoned her last week to ask if we should now apply for child tax credit and she's said again that things are not clear as yet with what exactly the changes are going to be (other than the ones about new babies after a certain date ect) and that at the moment we are still better to leave it as it is for now. We live in central scotland so things might be different in other areas but it's definately worth giving them a phone and asking if they have benefits advice officers.

 

Sorry for rambling on lol

 

 

Anne-Marie xxx