Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2017 to Question 120356, what the reasons are for the Qualifying Young Persons criteria in Universal Credit not being aligned with the Qualifying Young Person criteria in both child benefit and tax credits.

Universal Credit has been designed to be simpler than the benefits it replaces and provides support for young people aged 16-19 in full-time non-advanced education or approved training, through the child element paid to their parents. This can continue to be paid until 31^st August following their 19th birthday.

The criteria in Universal Credit aligns with the academic year to allow most young people still in education or training under age 20 to finish their course and to be supported under their parents’ claim to Universal Credit up to the point at which they would be able to claim in their own right. This will generally be at age18, if they meet the conditions of entitlement.