× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Children and childcare  →  Thread

Boarding school

Nan
forum member

Generalist team - Hammersmith & Fulham CAB

Send message

Total Posts: 155

Joined: 8 July 2010

Hello,

Have had a dig around and am looking to confirm my answer.

Client has 16 year old daughter who will be attending boarding school from the Autumn. This is not due to her health needs, simply a schooling preference. I can see that child benefit will be paid as she is contributing towards her daughter, but child tax credit seems a little less clear.

It seems to hinge on whether she ‘normally lives with’. I’ve had a look here: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/tax-credits-technical-manual/tctm02202 but it’s not hugely illuminating. There’s a definite argument to say she will be - she is expecting her to be a weekly boarder and therefore home at weekends. I would argue that if she returns to client’s home nearly every weekend, in addition to normally half term/holidays that she does normally live with client and therefore the benefit continues.

In addition, any thoughts about the effect on HB? Not a problem as child benefit continues? Thoughts greatly appreciated!

Mark Willis
forum member

Welfare rights worker - CPAG in Scotland

Send message

Total Posts: 142

Joined: 17 June 2010

Hi HFCAB

This section mentions potential help with childcare provided in boarding schools. As it is necessary to be responsible for the child in order to get childcare costs, the child must be accepted as still normally living with the claimant in this situation:

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/tax-credits-technical-manual/tctm02630

“A person who is incurring and paying relevant childcare charges for a child in a residential boarding school, may be entitled to claim childcare costs providing that the school meets the conditions and those costs do not include any element for compulsory education.

Example 1:

A school charges £7,000 per year for compulsory education, and £1,500 per year for boarding which is provided as an option. The school provides an itemised invoice to show the £1,500 boarding fees. If the claimant has chosen to pay for the additional fees for boarding, the childcare costs would be considered as relevant for tax credit purposes.”

Mark

Altered Chaos
forum member

Operations & Advice Manager - Citizens Advice Taunton

Send message

Total Posts: 427

Joined: 28 June 2010

The HMRC guidance manual states that “normally living with” should be given its ordinary meaning which is ‘regularly, usually, typically lives with them which allows for temporary or occasional absences’. I would agree that the daughter will ‘normally live’ with her mother and she will merely be absent for educational purposes, Mum still retains primary care and is responsible for all parenting, health etc decisions.

Likewise for the HB claim your client needs to be ‘responsible’ for the child (she is) and she must live in the same household. I would argue that she is living in the same household for the reasons set out above. The school is not a household, it is an educational establishment that provides somewhere to sleep when they child doesn’t come home during the school week.

I would be interested to hear other views.

Nan
forum member

Generalist team - Hammersmith & Fulham CAB

Send message

Total Posts: 155

Joined: 8 July 2010

Many thanks to both of you.

Rebecca