client was in receipt of CTC for his daughter, who had left school at 16 and registered with connexions, doing 2 hours 2 nights a week of training.

Connexions of course told the daughter that in the circumstances she wasn't entitled to any benefit for herself, and her father would continue to receive CTC for her.

TCO disagree - they say (without, so far, pointing me in the direction of the relevant regulation upon which they rely!) that daughter didn't meet the criteria!

I have cited the relevant regulations at them, and even sent them a copy of their own guidance booklet on the point.

They have to date refused to change their stance and insist that the client has to repay overpaid CTC (about £2.5K) in respect of the period between his daughter leaving school and becoming a fully fledged adult with no further registration wtih Connexions.

So far as I can see, daughter did at the material time satisfy the regulations.

Anyone any bright ideas? apart from just keep plodding on in trying to get them to tell me why they think they're right, so i can check it out and advise accordingly?

Have sent client off to see MP, and MP's office is going to write to "relevant minister"

No mention of an appeal - have you done one/could you do one?

Nicky

will need to check whether it is an appealable decision - i haven't written saying formally "my client appeals" .....maybe time to do that, indeed!

having just reread the letter i dictated earlier in the week, my last paragraph does in fact say "client appeals". of course, whether they in fact treat it as an appeal is a whole other ball game....

I often find that dictators forget what they have previously said

)

As a matter of interest, when was the child's 16th birthday, what was the last date the child actually attended school, when did he/she register with Connexions, and from what date are the TCO saying there was no CTC entitlement?