If your child is not looked after by the local authority
If your child is not looked after by the local authority and her/his absence is treated as temporary, s/he continues to be part of your household for income support (IS)/income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA).1IS Reg 16(1) and (2) IS Regs
JSA Reg 78(1) and (2) JSA Regs ‘Temporary’ means that the absence is unlikely to exceed 52 weeks or, in exceptional circumstances, unlikely to substantially exceed 52 weeks. See here if the absence is not temporary. However, even if the absence is temporary, the amount of IS/income-based JSA may change because of the impact on premiums (part of your ‘applicable amount’ – see here). If your IS/income-based JSA does not include amounts for children (ie, you get child tax credit (CTC) instead), the amount you get may be affected if you get a carer premium. If you are claiming IS as a carer, you are no longer able to do so from eight weeks after your carer’s allowance (CA) stops (see here). If your IS/income-based JSA still includes amounts for children (ie, you have been getting IS/JSA since before April 2004 and have not claimed CTC), the amount may change because of the impact on premiums (carer premium, disabled child premium and enhanced disability premium).
The carer premium stops eight weeks after your CA stops (see here).2IS Sch 2 para 14ZA(2) and (4) IS Regs
JSA Sch 1 para 17 (3) JSA Regs If you get CA again (see here), the carer premium should start again and continue while you are getting CA and for eight weeks after it stops again. If your child is away at school, the disabled child premium stops when the child’s DLA care component or PIP daily living component stops (see here), unless there is another basis for getting it – ie, if your child is still getting DLA or PIP mobility component or is severely sight impaired or blind.3IS Sch 2 para 14 IS Regs, pre-amendment by SS(WTCCTC)(CA) Regs
JSA Sch 1 para 16 JSA Regs, pre-amendment by SS(WTCCTC)(CA) Regs The enhanced disability premium stops when the DLA care component or PIP daily living component stops.4IS Sch 2 para 13A IS Regs, pre-amendment by SS(WTCCTC)(CA) Regs
JSA Sch 1 para 15A JSA Regs, pre-amendment by SS(WTCCTC)(CA) Regs If your child’s DLA/PIP starts being paid again (eg, when s/he comes home for a weekend or a holiday – see here), the disability and enhanced disability premium should be paid for the days you are entitled to them.5Sch 3A para 3 SS&CS(DA) Regs
If the absence is not temporary
If the absence is not temporary, your child does not count as part of your household for IS/income-based JSA. If you still receive amounts for the child in your IS/income-based JSA, these stop.
If you are a lone parent and do not have another dependent child aged under five living with you, you can no longer claim IS as a lone parent.