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I always paid child maintenance for my 2 kids since our divorce. My son turned 16 and left school and moved in with me and I got him a job so I stopped paying maintenance for him. He has now left the job and moved back with his mum and now wants to go to tech. His mother is now demanding money for him but he hasn't got a tech place guaranteed yet. The course is an access course as he failed all his GCSE's. I heard only certain courses qualify for payment? How do i know if his course does and when do/if I start paying his mum again?
I would have thought that payment shouldnt start again unless he has been offered a place. If he is eligible for child benefit, then its usual that he would also be eligible for child maintenance.
Im not too knowledgeable about which courses are eligible but by the sound of it, his course would probably fall under non advanced education, which would mean It might reach the criteria for payment.
Hopefully someone will be along to answer your questions.
All the best
Hello Slippy
Maintenance payments should continue until a child is 20, if they are in full-time, non-advanced education. Full-time is classed as a minimum of 12 hours per week and non-advanced is anything up to and including A-level standard.
Payments also run in line with Child benefit eligibility. So if your son is eligible for Child benefit, maintenance should also be paid. You can view the eligibility rules for Child benefit here, https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/eligibility.
If your son is not yet in full-time education and does not meet any other of the criteria to receive Child benefit, you would have no legal obligation to provide maintenance payments.
If you would like any further information and to receive a more personalised service, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly, http://www.cmoptions.org.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, ‘Sorting out separation’. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/
Regards
William
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