Child element age 19

Hi

Just need to clarify.
If a QYP age 19 leaves education in say June this year (course has ended), will child element pay until 1/9 or will it end when he leave college?

Hi Harlow AC

UC guidance on Additional amount for children https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/universal-credit-guidance says:

Qualifying young person ends full-time non-advanced education
If a young person aged 17-19 year old has ended a course of non-advanced
education (is no longer enrolled on a course and doesn’t have a further follow-on
year to complete), they are no longer treated as a qualifying young person.

The parent or guardian may continue to receive Child Benefit payments for the
young person for a short period unless they claim Universal Credit in their own right.
If the young person does claim Universal Credit, Child Benefit payments must be
stopped immediately.

Young persons aged18 or 19 can claim Universal Credit in their own right the day
after they complete their non-advanced education course. Even if they intend to take
up advanced education, they will not be treated as receiving education until their new
course begins.

Mark

PS Although if we are talking about the child element of CTC, the regs refer to “receiving full-time education, not being—(i)advanced education” but “shall include gaps between the ending of one course and the commencement of another, where the person enrols on and commences the latter course” which is helpfully explained in HMRC guidance as:

Note: Where a qualifying young person intends to continue their full-time education but at advanced level CTC can be paid to:

  the last day of the academic year (31 August)
  or
  if before 31 August, the date the young person changed their mind and decided not to continue their education

Example

A claimant telephones on 27 August to inform tax credits that her daughter has found work. The claimant states that although her daughter had originally intended to go to university, following her exam results she had decided to look for a job instead and has now found work. She is asked what date her daughter made the decision to look for work and not go to university. This date is given as the 21 August. CTC can therefore be paid to the 20 August.
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/tax-credits-technical-manual/tctm02230#nonadvanced