Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a child?

Technically, a child is a person under 16 whereas a "young person" is a person 16 or over but under 20 who is receiving full-time education; however, we use the term "child" throughout the program to include both children and young persons. Full-time education in this context means education up to and including A level. The course must last more than 12 hours a week not counting homework and meal breaks.

For most purposes (but not all) the authority can make decisions about whether a child is to be treated as a child of the family by following decisions made by the Benefits Agency about Child Benefit.

A child is a member of the relevant person's family if that person claimant has primary responsibility for the child, even where, for some reason, Child Benefit is not payable. There is no requirement that the child should be biologically related to the claimant. Include babies or young children who are the children of dependent children under 16.

Even where the child is absent from home the child should normally be treated as part of the relevant person's family.

Always exclude those people under the age of 20 who are:

• getting Income Support in their own right
• getting a Youth Training allowance
• boarded out with the relevant person prior to adoption by them, or to whom they are foster parents
• working full-time
• in local authority care (unless the child nevertheless spends a lot of time with the relevant person)
• placed for adoption with another family, or boarded out prior to adoption.

Housing Renewal Grant Regs 96 Reg 8 & 9