Child Benefit Problem

[Gizmo]

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on this situation.
I have just been told that because my son is doing an HNC course at Thurso College, that his Child Benefit is now stopped. But then i found this newspaper article from earlier in the year, that says a blunder was made and that Scottish HNC courses should not be classified as an "Advanced" education course (which would stop the payment of Child Benefit), and that payments were to restart at the beginning of the academic year.

I have tried emailing the MP featured in the article, but the email address on his website keeps getting bounced back to me. Does anyone have any idea what's going on with this issue?

Here's the article from The Scotsman.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/tops...ort.5163097.jp

[Metalattakk]

I have tried emailing the MP featured in the article, but the email address on his website keeps getting bounced back to me.

Try contacting him here - http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/eric_joyce/falkirk

[Gizmo]

Try contacting him here - http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/eric_joyce/falkirk

That only lets you contact an MP for your own constituency, the "send a message to your MP" link, takes you to the "Write To Them" website, where you enter your postcode to find your MP., you wouldn't happen to know a postcode for Falkirk West do you?

The email address i found for him came direct from his website, but it's not a valid email address.

http://www.epolitix.com/mpwebsites/m...ts-0ab582ee3a/

[telfordstar]

Have you tried the child benefit office see what theyve got to say?

[Gizmo]

Have you tried the child benefit office see what theyve got to say?

Of course i've tried that, they haven't got a clue what i'm talking about.


A little update, just spoke to them again, and this time they admitted to being aware of this query, but there has been no change to their rules on it, and a Scottish HNC is still classed as "Advanced" education.

[Metalattakk]

That only lets you contact an MP for your own constituency, the "send a message to your MP" link, takes you to the "Write To Them" website, where you enter your postcode to find your MP., you wouldn't happen to know a postcode for Falkirk West do you?

Yup, FK5 gives you a Larbert postcode, which is within the Falkirk West constituency.

FK5 3NN gives you a company called Drysdale Bros of Larbert. No idea who they are or even if they'd like you to use their postcode, but there ya go.

[Gizmo]

Yup, FK5 gives you a Larbert postcode, which is within the Falkirk West constituency.

FK5 3NN gives you a company called Drysdale Bros of Larbert. No idea who they are or even if they'd like you to use their postcode, but there ya go.

Cheers MA, email now sent, I take back all the things I said about you, well...a few of them, lets not push it

[telfordstar]

Of course i've tried that, they haven't got a clue what i'm talking about.


A little update, just spoke to them again, and this time they admitted to being aware of this query, but there has been no change to their rules on it, and a Scottish HNC is still classed as "Advanced" education.

Soory Gizmo I only asked because you didnt mention in your original post that you had spoken to the child benefit office. So just thought I would ask.

[Gizmo]

Soory Gizmo I only asked because you didnt mention in your original post that you had spoken to the child benefit office. So just thought I would ask.

No worries, and actually..sorry for kinda snapping, just having a really bad day with all this, every single thing seems to be conspiring to make it nearly impossible for my son to continue attending college, or even continue living with me i simply do not have any money to support him until SAAS bother to process his Bursary application.

[feegilmour]

hey gizmo my son is 18 and he is doin 7th year in high school and they r carrying on payin me his family allowance so dont no y not u

[Gizmo]

hey gizmo my son is 18 and he is doin 7th year in high school and they r carrying on payin me his family allowance so dont no y not u

It's because your son is still in high school doing Further Education, not Higher Education.
The details below are from the HM Revenue & Customs Webiste.

Examples of further education are:

* GCSEs and qualifications up to and including A level.
* NVQ level 1, 2, or 3.
* BTEC National Diploma, National Certificate and 1st Diploma.
* SCE higher grade or equivalent.

Higher education

Child Benefit cannot be paid to a young person who is undergoing a course of higher education. Examples of higher education are courses that lead to the following qualifications:

* a degree
* Diploma of Higher Education (DHE)
* Higher National Diploma (HND)
* BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND)
* Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND)
* teacher training.

[telfordstar]

No worries, and actually..sorry for kinda snapping, just having a really bad day with all this, every single thing seems to be conspiring to make it nearly impossible for my son to continue attending college, or even continue living with me i simply do not have any money to support him until SAAS bother to process his Bursary application.

No problem Gizmo I totally understand your frustration. Hope it all works out for you both.