confused with child benefit

[debbieS]

My son turns 19 in January and is enrolled and accepted onto a 16hr full time course for g.c.s.e equivalent english, maths and ict. This is a special college for young people of the autistic spectrum, emotional and behavior issues, adhd, ocd and so on. My son starts his college on 4th march 2013.

 

I spoke to 3 child benefit officers because i need to claim before his 19th birthday. But all i got from them is that i am not entitled to child benefit as he is not on a full time course now. I did explain that a claim needs putting in now but they said refused. Then they changed what they were saying and telling me that he needed to be in continued education, but the hmrc website tells me completely different. Here is a quote from their site regarding young people going back into education after a break:

 

Your child goes back into education or training

 

Your child might go back to education or start a training course after a break - for example after a period of unemployment. As long as the education or training counts for Child Benefit, you'll usually be able to get Child Benefit for them.

You'll need to make another claim if your Child Benefit had previously stopped because you no longer qualified for it.

Your child needs to have started, enrolled or been accepted onto a course that counts for Child Benefit before their 19th birthday for you to qualify.

 

 

The quote in purple is what i based my claim on, but for some reason they keep disregarding what i was saying. Maybe there is something i had missed? They tell me that he cannot and will not be accepted onto the system and either way i will not qualify for child benefit.

 

 

Some advice on what to do would be great, i feel im going crazy right now because child tax credit has accepted us.

[reallymadwoman]

My advice would be to write, including the quote you've highlighted.

[flumps1976]

has your son remained in full time non advanced education since age 16?

If tere has been a break in his education then you may not be entitled to reclaim the child benefit.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/chfte-notes-1106.pdf

 

some changes since 22nd october to child benefit

[debbieS]

He has not remained in full time education as he was perminatly excluded from his special ed school. The Disability advisor at the job center said that my son is best off in the special ed college as he cannot read or write properly. The info on the site states for young people returning back to education after a break in education including looking for or working. My point is, that the site states if they have enrolled, accepted or started the course before their 19th birthday. I have a letter from the college stating my son has been accepted.