[Solved] When does Child Benefit stop

Hi

Yes you probably have paid for longer than you need to and can stop doing so if you want.

you could pay your daughter directly if you choose to help her out at all

Hi

Ive just been off the phone to CSA to clarify when payments stopped and i can see that it doesnt necessarily end when its either their 18th birthday or when school term ends .It is ifact calculated out into September. However im puzzled now that you say their 20th birthday when the CSA person sais it could go on until their 19th ? which is when i understand child benefit to end although i always thought it was their 18th as technically they are no longer a child after 18 ?Any info you can provide would be really helpful.

Im assuming CSA is for the whole of the UK and not different in England and scotland ?

Any help wold be much appreciated

Regards

I believe it's slightly different in Scotland.

In England and Wales Child maintenance is payable up until a child reaches the age of 20, as long as they're in full time non advanced education, this can include some approved apprenticeships, but not University.

Payments usually continue for a few weeks after the end of term, to allow for a period of adjustment. Hope that helps.

hi my son is 19 and i full time education. But if he get a part time job do i still pay maintenance for him ????

I think he's allowed to work up to 24hrs a week, but not completely sure on that. If you call th CMS they should be able to advise you. However, if the receiving parent is claiming child benefitand you pay through the CMS, then they will expect payments to continue.

my son who is 16 (17 in nov) is finishing school in June, he has no intention of taking any exams or staying on in any form of education and he does not want to go on an apprentice scheme. My questions are:
1. if the above is the case when do my payments cease?
2. if he does undertake a paid apprenticeship do i still pay and till what age?
3. it gets better.. his mother has just recently got married..to a very wealthy individual (multi millionaire!!) and now has given up work and is now a lady of leisure....do i still pay??:boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

Hi there

If your son is finishing all education in June, that would mean that maintenance can stop at the beginninging of September.

However, some approved apprenticeships are covered by continuation of maintenance, you would need to know ehether he is on an approved apprenticeship.

Unfortunately the resident parents income and that of her spouse isn't taken into account by the CSA/CMS when they calculate how much should be paid.

If your arrangement is family based and not through the CSA/CMS it would be up to you to negotiate with the mother when to stop payments.

Hi there,

Just looking for advice regarding my situation any info and guidance would be really appreciated.

Sorry if someone else has already asked the question but I am seeking clarity in where her or not I should actually be continuing paying maintenance for my daughter as no one seems to know the answer (cms or child benefit office) but will only listen to my estranged wife.

I have a daughter who left school in June 2017 after completing her National 5’s exams in Scotland. Initially she joined a local hair dresser and was promised to be taken on as an apprenticeship with private tuition. In October 2017.

In late October 2017 she moved to another hair salon and started a new apprenticeship on a full time basis.

She is fully employed by the salon as a junior stylist and works over 35 hours a week there getting paid £140 a week (more than the 24 hours a week meaning she is ineligible to qualify for child benefit which my estranged wife is still claiming).

She doesn’t attend college as all the training (3/4 hours on a Wednesday morning) is provided by senior staff members of the salon - this also doesn’t meet the child benefit eligibility as she would need to be in training / education for an average of 12 hours a week minimum and not paid for by the employer.

The last maintenance payment I made was in December as my daughter turned 16 in November 2017.

I phoned the cms and they were satisfied the case is to be closed and no further payments to be made.

My estranged wife has since called the cms to re-open the case in March 2018 insisting that as our daughter is in an apprenticeship she is still entitled to maintenance payments. They have backdated this request to January 2018. They have now put in a request to arrest my wages to clear the arrears of over £1,500 and take payments going forward.

They have sent me 4 letters all of which have been sent to an incorrect address and returned to them.

I have continually explained to them that my daughters employment and apprenticeship doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria for child benefit payments. But as the child benefit payments are still being made I am liable to continue making the maintenance payments.

So basically I just need to know should I still be paying maintenance for my daughter? As I do t believe my estranged wife should be claiming child benefit or maintenance based on the above.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance.

Unfortunately the CMS will work off the basis that if child maintenance is being paid, then you are liable for maintenance. I would report her to child maintenance for fraud, but they aren't know for acting quickly, if at all, unfortunately.

Hi thanks for your response. What is the best way for me to report this to them? What is the best way to prove this to them? Thanks

you could try this:

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

You could try telling the mother that she is committing fraud by claiming child benefit and unless she stops the claim immediately and informs the CMS of the changes, you will inform the child benefit fraud office. It might frighten her enough to come clean about it. If not you have few options I’m afraid.