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This three part blog looks at benefits support for all children and young people when a family is affected by cancer, some of the benefit complications around that time of change around 16 and the extra support available when it's a child or young person in the family that has received the cancer diagnosis.

These blogs are inspired by听Sue鈥檚 blog听 -

That made me think that it could be helpful to pull together information from other Benefit Blogs听and adapt them to the slightly different - but related - world of extra financial support for children and young people with cancer. As ever, some of that extra help depends on family income and savings, but significant ones do not, so there is help for all families in this situation.

Some of that support, though, comes as 听additional amounts within the benefits for听听all children and young people 鈥� in sickness and in health. So, it makes sense to take a step back to cover these too;听both for children and young people with a cancer diagnosis, but also for all families who may be experiencing extra costs and a hit to income due to cancer, regardless of who has actually had the diagnosis.

But who exactly counts as a child for benefits purposes? And what on earth is a 鈥渜ualifying young person鈥� and what help is there if you aren鈥檛 such a thing?

So the original idea has grown a bit. But I hope usefully, as whether or not a child or young person has cancer, they will still听 be affected by the way the benefits system supports children and reacts to choices at 16 and after.

• Here in Part 1, I begin at the beginning and look at benefits definitions of:听听Who is a child, a young person (qualifying or not)? ; 听Who can claim for them? and How do life choices from 16 on and听and benefits link up ? f
• Next in Part 2 鈥� I look at the benefits help for all children and "qualifying young persons": a bit more about the fairly universally claimed Child Benefit and the changing world of additional income-related support. And what does the ominous sounding 鈥淭wo child policy鈥� mean?
• Then in Part 3 , I focus on that extra help when a child or young person has cancer. Some of this is available to all families such as DLA (for children) 鈥� with changes ahead in Scotland - and the Carer鈥檚 Allowance that a parent or sibling could claim for extra time helping them out. Others means tested support comes in extra amounts within the benefits in Part 2

While Part 3 may have been the original idea, everything in Part 1 and 2 also applies to children and young people with cancer. And I will refer to helpful issues and choices for young people with cancer as I go.听So, it is worth not skipping Parts 1 and 2. But do take a break between.

Who counts as a child or young person for benefits?

So, to begin at the beginning, I will kick off with that deep philosophical question 鈥� or rather what the benefit rules say 鈥� about who counts as a child or young person for benefit purposes and some of the trickier bits from 16-ish on.

For parents, their child may be their child forever, but the benefits system always likes to have proper rules with 鈥渞igidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty鈥�. For benefits purposes there is a change around 16. The 鈥渁round鈥� b is because the exact date varies slightly between the benefits concerned.

But generally the system distinguishes between:

• a child under 16-ish who is counted as a dependent child with the general assumption that they are in "relevant education"
• a 鈥渜ualifying young person鈥� (QYP) is someone over that age, but who can still be counted in their parent鈥檚 benefit claims, potentially up to the age of 20. However, that only applies while they are in 鈥渞elevant non-advanced education鈥� or 鈥渁pproved training鈥�.

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Can a child or young person claim their own benefits?

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Children

No, a child has to reach the age of 16 to make any claim. Benefits in respect of children are claimed by a responsible adult - see below.

An extra benefit like DLA for children听 - see more in Part 3 -听is 听claimed in the child鈥檚 name, but by the responsible adult. And the child will get their very own National Insurance number to play with and will prepare to take over any claim at 16, though Scotland will be doing this around 18 in future

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Young people

Yes and No.

The cut off point for being counted as a child in education - after which you need to be a 鈥渜ualifying young person鈥� for things to carry on . This varies a bit, depending on the benefit听 concerned and which UK nation you are in.

However, the start date for a young person being able to claim any benefits they may be entitled to in their own right is always the 16th birthday.听But basic benefits to live on, generally come with significant restrictions until you reach 18, though these do not apply to young people with cancer

Some benefits have no age restrictions: e.g.听Carer鈥檚 Allowance听by a young carer or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for a young person with cancer. See Part 3.

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Who counts as a parent for making a claim for a child or QYP

The most obvious person to claim might be a child鈥檚 actual or adoptive parent, but claims can be made by others too.

Claims for financial help with the costs of children don鈥檛 have to be made by the actual biological or adoptive parent. They can be made by anyone who is a parent or 鈥渁cting parent鈥�.听

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Acting parents

An 鈥渁cting parent鈥澨� could be anyone else over 16, who meets the criteria of taking responsibility for that child . So that could include anyone else stepping into that role for any reason: a grandparent, aunt, uncle, family friend and perhaps as a surprise to many an older sibling.

And in the following example that was really important to one family:

The family was made up of a lone parent and two children aged 16 and 11. They were a tight loving family, but the father had passed away, there was no extended family to step in. Sadly, the mother had advanced and life-limiting cancer. Her biggest worry听 was what would happen to her children after her time.

Under financial pressure, local social services could only offer to step in close to that time. They could at least reassure mum r that the children could be taken into care and that would try hard to find a placement for them together, but鈥� The thought, of facing a triple loss of their mum, the family home and possibly each other was hugely difficult and upsetting for the whole family.

However, a social worker from a cancer charity had the resources to step in much earlier, supporting the family though this change. An idea struck her and she hauled in her Benefits Advisor colleague听 into developing a cunning plan. The 16-year old was already stepping into an adult role as a young carer and was doing it incredibly well. So the idea was what if there was a way for the older sibling to take on the parenting role, with ongoing support from local and cancer social workers:

• Could the 16 year old actually claim for her sibling??? Oh ,yes said the benefits Advisor.听听
• And as a 鈥渓one parent鈥� for herself. ? Yes, indeed.听
• And take over a tenancy and get help with the rent? Certainly

And so:听

• The social worker was able to add her professional assessment and ongoing support to help social services think beyond a default, expensive, firefighting response.
• The housing association, knowing that it could work financially and there was ongoing support, were helped to overcome concerns around tenancies for under 18s and to waive the need for a guarantor.听
• the advisor was able to clarify that the finances could work. The 16 year old could take on benefit claims as a 鈥渓one parent鈥� to their younger brother. So she could take over Child benefit and Child Tax Credit claims and claim as a 鈥渓one parent鈥� for Income Support for herself and Housing benefit to cover the rent.

A huge weight was lifted off the mother鈥檚 shoulders and though the sadness of a parting to come remained, there was still comfort in the being actively involved in a loving handover and planning for a future. Family discussions about the future included some hope, humour and banter rather than total dread.听

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Shared parenting

If parents have separated and a child is living in a shared care arrangement, then the benefits system can鈥檛 really cope with splitting the benefits. Sometimes a child may be living with one parent most of the time and they would be the one to claim benefits. Other times it鈥檚 a roughly 50-50, so they might make a decision as to who is best placed to claim the benefits.

Because of slightly different rules it is also possible for one parent to claim Child Benefit and the other to claim the income related top ups from Child Tax Credit etc (see more in Part 2) But that鈥檚 about as far as recognising shared care goes, so parents will need to sort out the costs f that child between themselves.

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Choices at 16 onwards

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To become a QYP or make your own claim.

If you are carrying on in relevant education (see below as to what that means exactly) , there can often be a choice between carrying on as QYP on a 鈥減arent鈥檚鈥� claim and switching over to making your own claim. However, it鈥檚 these basic amounts that come with 17 and 17 year old restrictions. But a young person with cancer is free of those restrictions, so they would be one听example of a young person with a choice.

Where there is a choice, which works best?听The amounts a young person might get is fairly easy to work out, but the amount a parent would then lose听varies considerably according to the parent鈥檚 income, which benefits they are claiming and whether the family is being hit by the "Two Child Policy" - see Part 2 for more on that

For a young person with cancer, the full extra amounts for disability on a parent鈥檚 claim can be much听 higher than in your own claim. But is the parent going to get that full amount? And if not how much? Might they lose out a bit in the sums for you but you both do better if another sibling can come in from the cold of the "Two Child Policy" ?听It is certainly worth checking out the sums with听a Benefits Advisor.

It鈥檚 not just the money. Other issues might be a听a guided steps to independence versus听a young person's readiness, which may trump the best deal financially.听There is a halfway option 听where a young person claims in their own right, but parents act as "appointees" to make the claims and receive monies on the young person's behalf.

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Life choices at 16 and benefits

In the run up to turning 16 and in years immediately after, a young person has to make some choices about what happens next. In general, the benefits system is expecting people to choose between: carrying on at school / college, getting a job or going into workplace training or apprenticeships.

The system听 makes some allowances to allow a little bit extra time to get those choices sorted, but after a while benefits paid as a child will stop. There isn鈥檛 then a general fourth option to claim benefits as a jobseeker until you are 18, so that鈥檚 why the key basic benefits for 16 and 17 year olds are restricted.

The benefits system and wider society is concerned听if听 a young person is a bit of a听"NEET". That鈥檚 someone听 "Not in Employment, Education orTraining". 听It probably isn鈥檛 good for you or society to be a NEET for long, but there can be many reasons why this can happen for someone: family circumstances and issues, tricky times, putting off decisions, basic confidence / skills and physical and emotional health.

NEETs then won't be covered , but there are exemptions for certain groups, mainly those who would not be expected to look for work. So听a young person with cancer coud claim even if illness and treatment was forcing them to be a NEET. However, they may also feel up to carrying on with education - perhaps from home or ward - and so not be a NEET at all. In that case, they can choose to claim in their own right or remain as a "qualifying young person" on a parent's claim.听听

So the benefit support linked to the main choices are:

• In education: carrying on as before on a parent or acting parent鈥檚 claim while in non-advanced education up until, potentially age 20 (eg if you have missed a year or two)
• In employment: your wages and any "in work" benefits that might apply
• In training : it varies a little depending on the type of training听

Training might take the form of:听

• longer term apprenticeships at different levels when you work - and are paid -听
• If you are not yet ready, then听short term Traineeships 鈥� a few weeks to 6 months - give you valuable work experience, a chance to brush up on key skils basic and quality training. Expenses are covered but there is no obligation for an employer to pay any wage or allowance.听
• Approved training: a specicific form of traineeship to offer a second chance to focus on key literacy and numeracy skills. Names of schemes听听vary across the four nations of the UK. Financial support is the same as for staying on in education, so you are a "qualifying young person" on a parent's claim.

In the run up to school leaving age, HMRC will send the acting parent a short form and information about keeping a Child Benefit claim going. It doesn鈥檛 need filling in straight away, but does need to be back in before the Child Benefit cut-off date.

• If you have a clear idea of wanting to carry on in school or sixth form college then with that filled in you seamlessly segue from child to young person.
• If you are thinking of other options you do get some time to plan and prepare after leaving school, as benefits don鈥檛 stop 听the moment you bid a fond 鈥� or otherwise -farewell to the school gates. If you are young person with cancer then you can claim benefits from age 16, regardless while exploring those options as health allows.
• there are also some other exceptions to the ban on basic benefits听 for 16 to 17 year olds whether on an ongoing basis or for a bit longer听

But if you don鈥檛 come under these - and are going through a period of being a complete NEET - then you will not be covered by any benefits

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Young people in education

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Non-advanced relevant education

This means:听

• up to A-level or equivalent, whether at school or college听
• and for for a minimum of 12 hours a week.听

However, it also includes home tuition 鈥� or on a hospital ward 鈥� as long there is an element of guidance and supervision of your studies. If you have opted out / tried something else, you can opt back into being a QYP by starting back in education up until the age of 19. If you are still on a course after that you can continue to count as a QYP until the age of 20

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Approved training

As described above, being in "approved training鈥� also counts - in the same way as 鈥渞elevant education鈥� - to enable a 16 to 20 year old to be a QYP.听

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Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

This was UK wide bonus for young people, not intended to cover living costs, but to help with the added costs and give some incentive to the 16+ to choose ongoing education. EMA has a mix of regular cash payments (up to 拢30 a week depending on parental income) and bonus amounts for achieving goals set out in a Learning Agreement听 agreed with teachers/tutors. It was abolished across the UK, but:

the scheme was picked up by devolved Governments and continues as in Wales, Scotland and N.Ireland.

partially replaced by the in England .

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Advanced education

This is 鈥渉igher鈥� education up to degree level or equivalent听. A student can be any age, but one young person might be starting University听 at 17 while their older friend or sibling may still be doing A levels up until 18 (or even up to the age of 20听. The point is the nature of your studies rather than your age , ad generally听students in advanced education:

• cannot be counted as 鈥渜ualifying young people鈥� for parents to claim benefits
• cannot usually access basic听means tested benefits (with important exceptions) regardless of 听age.

Students then are meant to live on the mix of grants and student loans to cover their maintenance costs and tuition fees, which varies amongst the UK nations. 听However, there are important exceptions to this benefits ban, so a young person with cancer at University can claim means tested benefits, although they will be assumed to have claimed student grants/loans.听.

Other benefits can be claimed by any student, but there are 鈥渘ot being in education鈥� restrictions on some benefits. But there is no restriction on any听 student claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Means tested support for sickness 鈥� such as Income-related ESA or Universal Credit 鈥� does have student restrictions. However, if you pass the assessment and also have PIP, then a student with e.g. cancer can qualify. UC originally created created a bit of a 鈥渃atch 22鈥� on this. Advisors came u with a cunning work around, but now UC has come up with an official fix to that issue.

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Useful links and further reading:

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Other blogs in this series

• Sue's blog on 听
• Part 3: Extra benefits for children/ QYPs with cancer

Other useful blogs

• 听

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External links

• - recommendations for changes during the Covid 19 pandemic