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Hope someone can advise.
My son is 18 and been attending college as a mechanic and working in a garage for the odd day a week! Ive learnt that in January he has started an apprenticeship with one day a week at college and four days in the work place and earning £106 per week. My ex wife has informed me that her family tax credits and family allowance has now stopped for my son!! I have stopped maintenance for my son and my ex wife is telling me that this is not right as the court order says "FULL VOCATIONAL COURSE"
Ive looked on the computer to find that full time education is 12 hours or more!!!
Please Please can someone advise as I want to make sure im doing the right thing!!!
If she no longer receives child benefit for your son, then you wouldn't have to pay via the CSA
But because you have a court order that says full vocational course, then as long as his doing one you would have to continue to pay
I know it's wrong that a child who is 18 and works can be classed as full time education if its over 12 hours a week, 12 hrs is hardly full time but rules are rules
'Full-time' means that, on average, more than 12 hours a week in term time is spent on:
tuition
practical work
supervised study
taking exams
work experience if it's part of your child's course of education
It doesn't include breaks for meals and homework.
'Non-advanced' education includes the following:
GCSEs
A levels
International GCSEs (IGCSEs)
Pre-U
International Baccalaureate
NVQ/SVQ level 1, 2 or 3
BTEC, National Certificate and 1st Diploma
SCE higher grade or similar
Traineeships as part of 16-19 Study Programmes in England
COURSES THAT YOU DON'T PAY MAINTENANCE FOR ARE LISTED BELOW
Examples of advanced education courses include:
a degree
Diploma of Higher Education (DHE)
NVQ level 4 or above
BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC)
teacher training
I have spoken to someone who works for the CSA and she says that if my ex wife is not getting family allowance then I don't have to pay child maintenance!!! Im so confused!!!!
That's correct, if she isn't receiving child benefit, then the CSA won't take on a case but yours is different you have a court order that states you pay maintenance if the child is on a full vocational course, so the court order would still stand
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