WTC, CB and WMA query

A question about : WTC, CB and WMA query

i have been claiming the above benefits for the past few years.

the WTC (working tax credit) and CB (child benefit) and part of the WMA (widowed mother's allowance) all pertain to my son who has recently turned 18.
after he returned to college last year, he decided by oct to leave.
i was very much hoping he would change his mind and return to college, so didnt do anything about my benefits.
eventually when i had to renew my WTC claim this year, i declared that he had in fact left college last oct.

as he still hadnt managed to find a job, on turning 18 in june he made a claim for JSA. after a lot of trips to the job centre and many phone calls, they declined his claim on the grounds i was still claiming CB. By now i had contacted the CB agency and not without a lot explaining had my CB stopped from dec 2010. (not as easy as it seemed at all) (wished at one point i hadnt been so honest -they didnt deserve my honesty, all the messing about there has been)
they tried to tell me as far as they were aware my son was still at college and the CB would cease in sep 2011. i couldnt just CHOOSE give up CB so he could claim JSA!!!! what planet are they on??!!!

we returned to the job centre, had to request a letter from CB to prove my CB had indeed been stopped from dec 2010.
the job centre had closed my son's JSA claim but decided it could be paid, but he would have to make a fresh claim and start again!!
they had all the relevant information, what a waste of time for them and us.

TODAY my darling son made a fresh claim for JSA as instructed - he still hasnt received a penny since the beginning of june 2011.
he then announced he was thinking of going back to a different college and has an appointment to enrol on friday. he also rang up about a job and has an interview for tomorrow!
now seeing is believing and im not getting too excited yet about him having at last awoken from his childhood! fingers crossed!

i now have to pay back over Ј3000 in CB and WTC.
and my WMA has been halved.

my QUESTION is
will my benefits be restarted should he actually stay at college??
the WMA is reduced depending on my age when he leaves full time education, so if he returns and carries on i will be older when he leaves and entitled to a larger payment??

has anyone else any experience of WMA?

thanks if youre still reading this post!

molly

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