Cannot expect financial support from parents

To receive a Young Parent Payment a single young person must meet all of the qualifications and have a parental support gap. A 16 or 17 year old is considered to have a parental support gap when:

• they are living independently and
• you are satisfied that they have a good and sufficient reason why they cannot reasonably expect to be financially dependent on their parents or any other person

You must send the young person to an Independent Assessment Provider for an assessment and recommendation before granting Young Parent Payment.

If you are granting a young person Young Parent Payment due to other 'good and sufficient' reasons, add the reason in the Young Parent Payment comments field in the SDT1A screen in SWIFTT.

Consider it reasonable to expect financial support from the parents when the parents are willing and able to support the young person.

Ask the young person's parents this information (willingness to support and income details). Note they are not expected to provide proof of their income.

If the young person's parents have been living apart for some time, it is reasonable to ask if both parents are willing and able to financially support the young person.

If the parents say they will support the young person, you should work through the details of when payments start and other arrangements for this to take place before declining the benefit.

For more information see:

• When financial support is not expected
• Independent
• Definition of 'parents'
• Unsupported Childs Benefit was paid
• Examples of good and sufficient reason
• Independent Assessment Provider