The client or their partner must be the main carer of a child in order to get the higher payment of £503.10 for Job Start Payment.
The client can prove that they have child responsibility on the date of their job offer, if they:
This proof needs to show the full name of each child they’re looking after. To confirm they’re receiving a benefit, they need to send us one of the following:
If the client does not get any of these, they’ll need a copy of one of these legal orders for each child they’re looking after:
A legal order is a legal document which proves the client has responsibility of a child.
If the client’s file does not show a child-related benefit, check their partner’s details.
If the client does not get a child-related benefit, they may still be able to get Job Start Payment based on their partner’s child-related benefit.
If the client has a partner who is claiming any of these child qualifying benefits on behalf of the client, then you should update the partners ‘Child Responsibility Details’ Evidence on the system.
If the client wishes to claim the higher amount, and it is their partner who gets the child-related benefit, then they should have added their partner’s details on the application
If you cannot find any child-related benefit on the system as proof of the client’s responsibility for a child, the client can also send in a legal order.
A legal order is essentially a legal document, which proves the client has responsibility for a child.
You should request a copy of the legal order.
When the eligibility check is done the dates are cross-referenced with the date of the client’s job offer.
The conditions of Job Start Payment say that the client only has to have been the main carer of a child at the time of their job offer and not for the whole six month period.
If the client’s job offer date falls outside the start and end dates of when they cared for a child, the client will not be able to get the higher child-related payment of Job Start Payment (topped up to £503.10).