Children And Qualifying Young Person s (Info)

1. Before making any changes, you must follow the guidance in Establish If A Change Can Be Made
    
2. The term ‘qualifying young person’ is shortened to ‘young person’ throughout this page
    
3. For more information about responsibility for a child or young person, follow the guidance in Responsibility For Child Or Young Person

When a

• New child is born, the effective date of the change will be the child’s date of birth
   
• Child or young person becomes a member of the claimant’s family, the effective date of the change will be the date that the claimant became legally responsible for the child
   
• Child or young person leaves the claimant’s family and lives with someone else, the effective date of the change will be the date from which the claimant was no longer responsible for them
   
• Child or young person becomes a member of the claimant's family through fostering or adoption, follow the guidance in Foster Carers
   
• Young person leaves full-time non advanced education or approved training

• They will no longer be treated as a member of the claimant’s family. You must enter the date they left education or approved training in the Full Time Education End Date field

But

• If they are under the age of 18 and

• Registered with a qualifying body for work, further education or approved training

And

• We are notified within 3 months of the date they left, they will still be treated as a member of the claimant’s family for a maximum of 20 weeks from the date they left. Follow the guidance in Child / Young Person Left Education And Registered With A Qualifying Body

• Child or young person dies, you must follow the guidance in Death Of A Child Reported
   
• Child or young person who the claimant is responsible for has a baby, you must treat the baby as if it is the claimant’s new child

Note: If the baby’s parents claim tax credits in their own right, the claimant will no longer be classed as being responsible for them, and they should be removed from that claim. Follow the guidance in Child In Current NTC Award

• Child or young person receives a custodial sentence of more than 4 months, the entitlement to Child Tax Credit ( CTC) will cease and you must remove them from the claim. You must enter the date that the sentence started in the Responsibility End Date field. This does not apply if a child or young person is on remand awaiting sentencing
   
• Child or young person is in hospital, they will continue to be treated as a member of the claimant’s family and the main carer will continue to receive CTC for them, provided that the claimant can still be considered to be responsible for them
   
• Child or young person is in care, or is placed for adoption in the home of someone planning to adopt them, CTC will continue to be paid to the main carer of that child or young person, unless the conditions in the guidance Child / Young Person Excluded From The Family apply
   
• Child or young person gets a tax credits or Incapacity Benefit award in their own right, the claimant will no longer be treated as being responsible for them
   
• Child or young person becomes disabled or ceases to be disabled, the award will be recalculated
   
• Young person gets Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance in their own right, the claimant will no longer be able to claim CTC for them

From 1 September 2008 a claimant cannot be treated as being responsible for a young person, and will not be entitled to CTC for them if

• The young person becomes part of a couple, and their partner is not in full-time non-advanced education or approved training

Or

• The young person is the claimant's partner

Note: This change will not affect claimants receiving CTC for a young person where that young person was living with a partner on 31 August 2008

The claimant does not need to tell you about the following - the computer will automatically remove the child or young person from the claim when these events happen

• If a child has reached 16 years of age and is not staying in full-time non advanced education

Or

• If a young person has reached 20 years of age