Care and support

Other help

Your parents or someone acting as your parent can normally claim child benefit for you whilst you are under 20 and in full-time non-advanced education (up to and including 'A' level, BTEC or equivalent). Your course is full time if it lasts more than 12 hours a week. Also, if they qualify for working tax credit, child tax credit, housing benefit or council tax benefit, they will get extra benefit for you if they still get child benefit for you. Your parents can get child benefit (and any of the other allowances listed above) if you are on an E2E course. The child benefit payments carry on from the date that a young person leaves education or training until the next ‘terminal date’ (last day of February, May, August or November)

The earliest date you can leave school in the 2007/8 academic year is 27th June 2008, so child benefit would be paid until August 31st (the next terminal date).

Your parents, or someone acting as your parent, can also claim child benefit and other benefits for you, such as child tax credit, for up to 20 weeks after you have left school, college or an E2E course, if you are looking for work or a training place and are registered with connexions or the careers office. This is known as the child benefit extension period.

Remember - If you claim benefits in your own right, any benefits which your parents get for you, e.g., child benefit, will stop.

EMA’s are Education Maintenance Allowances for 16-19 year olds who continue education beyond Year 11. Payments range from £10 per week for students with parental income of under £30,810 and £30 per week for those with income below £20,817. There will also be up to £300 in 'bonuses' for attendance/attainment. Contact 0808 101 6219 for details.

Adult Learning Grants were introduced in September 2007, at the rate of up to £30 a week for people aged 19 or over who return to education. Contact the Learndirect advice line on 0800 100 900 for more information.

Care to Learn is the name of a childcare scheme for young parents still in school or colleges or in training, such as Entry to Employment, apprenticeships and NVQ’s. It can fund up to £160 per week including care in school holidays. More information from the Care to Learn helplines:-

for Providers and Advisers 0161 234 7269; for Young Parents 0845 600 2809.

For more information select the link entitled maternity benefits and rights on the right hand side of this page.