A hypothetical question at the moment, but it will come round soon
enough. Child Tax Credits are paid in respect to children over 16 "in
full time education". But what about a child leaving school for
university and taking a gap year? Does the parent lose 12 months of Tax
Credits (or worse, 14 months - July to the next year's September).

(And does "aged between 16-20" take us to the child's 21st birthday, or
just their 20th?)
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 10:10:06 on
Sat, 25 Oct 2008, Anthony R. Gold remarked:
A hypothetical question at the moment, but it will come round soon
enough. Child Tax Credits are paid in respect to children over 16 "in
full time education". But what about a child leaving school for
university and taking a gap year? Does the parent lose 12 months of Tax
Credits (or worse, 14 months - July to the next year's September).

(And does "aged between 16-20" take us to the child's 21st birthday, or
just their 20th?)

My uneducated reading suggests that interruptions over 6 months must be for
reasons of illness or disability

I wonder when the interruption for a Gap Year starts - July or
September?

and the benefit ends on the 20th birthday.

So about halfway through University for kids these days.
--
Roland Perry

So about halfway through University for kids these days.
Is there entitlement now for children at university? I thought it was
(is?) that the child has to be in FTE that is not advanced education.
See eg http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.pdf and
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM02230.htm
--
Robin

In message , at
13:25:17 on Sat, 25 Oct 2008, neverwas remarked:

So about halfway through University for kids these days.
Is there entitlement now for children at university? I thought it was
(is?) that the child has to be in FTE that is not advanced education.
See eg http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.pdf and
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM02230.htm

Maybe that solves the conundrum of why there's no huge "issue" over Tax
Credits and Gap Years. The documents you reference seem to make it clear
that the "game is over" at the end of A-Levels.

I'm pretty sure the form I saw that prompted my enquiry only mentioned
"full time education", though. Which to an oldie like me most certainly
does include university.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
13:25:17 on Sat, 25 Oct 2008, neverwas remarked:

So about halfway through University for kids these days.
Is there entitlement now for children at university? I thought it was
(is?) that the child has to be in FTE that is not advanced education.
See eg http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.pdf and
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM02230.htm

Maybe that solves the conundrum of why there's no huge "issue" over Tax
Credits and Gap Years. The documents you reference seem to make it clear
that the "game is over" at the end of A-Levels.

I'm pretty sure the form I saw that prompted my enquiry only mentioned
"full time education", though. Which to an oldie like me most certainly
does include university.

Tax credits are paid in respect of children in full time education up to
a non-advanced level, which means as far as A levels and no more. Tax
credits are not payable to parents where the child is doing a degree or
similar.

--
Robbie

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:35:12 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at
13:25:17 on Sat, 25 Oct 2008, neverwas remarked:

So about halfway through University for kids these days.
Is there entitlement now for children at university? I thought it was
(is?) that the child has to be in FTE that is not advanced education.
See eg http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.pdf and
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM02230.htm

Maybe that solves the conundrum of why there's no huge "issue" over Tax
Credits and Gap Years. The documents you reference seem to make it clear
that the "game is over" at the end of A-Levels.

In theory a child on a "gap year" should be roaming the world and
should no longer be a burden to it's carers and consequently loss of
the tax credit should make no nett difference. In reality, things may
be a little different: I reckon a fair few gap year parents shudder
when they hear Warren Zevon sing "Lawyers, Guns and Money."

I'm pretty sure the form I saw that prompted my enquiry only mentioned
"full time education", though. Which to an oldie like me most certainly
does include university.

It might have done in your day (it did in my day) but nowadays
undergrads are expected to sign up for a student loan.

Nick

--
real e-mail is nickodell (at) bigfoot (dot) com

In message , at 21:40:19 on
Sat, 25 Oct 2008, Nick Odell
remarked:

In theory a child on a "gap year" should be roaming the world and
should no longer be a burden to it's carers and consequently loss of
the tax credit should make no nett difference.

Indeed. I was just curious why the form I saw didn't mention this. But
the missing hint was that the benefit ends at A-level anyway. (If we
want to find more corner-cases, do any students stay on for the first
term of their "gap year" to swot for Oxbridge entrance exams any more -
and do those count?)

I'm pretty sure the form I saw that prompted my enquiry only mentioned
"full time education", though. Which to an oldie like me most certainly
does include university.

It might have done in your day (it did in my day) but nowadays
undergrads are expected to sign up for a student loan.

It's still "full time education", even if not covered by the Tax
Credits. Are students expected to pay their parents for board and
lodging during vacations, out of the loans?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 21:40:19 on
Sat, 25 Oct 2008, Nick Odell
remarked:

In theory a child on a "gap year" should be roaming the world and
should no longer be a burden to it's carers and consequently loss of
the tax credit should make no nett difference.

Indeed. I was just curious why the form I saw didn't mention this. But the
missing hint was that the benefit ends at A-level anyway. (If we want to
find more corner-cases, do any students stay on for the first term of
their "gap year" to swot for Oxbridge entrance exams any more - and do
those count?)

Oxbridge doesn't have such exams anymore.
I guess if a child was still in full time education, e.g. A-level resits
that would count.

On Oct 25, 6:15*am, Roland Perry wrote:
A hypothetical question at the moment, but it will come round soon
enough. Child Tax Credits are paid in respect to children over 16 "in
full time education". But what about a child leaving school for
university and taking a gap year? Does the parent lose 12 months of Tax
Credits (or worse, 14 months - July to the next year's September).

(And does "aged between 16-20" take us to the child's 21st birthday, or
just their 20th?)
--
Roland Perry

It only applies to "FE" Further Education, Colleges up to A level or
equivalent and not "HE" Higher Education which is University or
equivalent.

A student whose parents qualify for Tax Credits is likely to get
reduced fees for attending University and is likely to be eligible for
a larger proportion of what is allowed as a loan based on assessed
income.

They are deemed to be self sufficient by 19.

smithy

On Oct 27, 12:10 am, wrote:
On 26 Oct,
"Mr X" wrote:

Indeed. I was just curious why the form I saw didn't mention this. But
the missing hint was that the benefit ends at A-level anyway. (If we
want to find more corner-cases, do any students stay on for the first
term of their "gap year" to swot for Oxbridge entrance exams any more -
and do those count?)

Oxbridge doesn't have such exams anymore.

They have an interview, which demands a fee, which the other universities
don't.

They certainly have an interview (and some subjects at some colleges
involve sitting additional examinations), but what do you mean by
"which demands a fee"? I don't remember my son having to pay for his
interviews in Cambridge.