Parents of teenagers in Scotland are being urged to act before midnight tonight to stop Child Benefit payments ending automatically. Families with children aged 16 to 19 who are continuing in approved education or training may need to extend their claim by 11.59pm on Monday, August 31.
Scotland's national advice service, Advice Direct Scotland, issued the reminder with just hours left before the deadline. It highlighted that families with two eligible children could miss out on £2,337.40 over a full year.
Who needs to act before the deadline
Child Benefit is currently worth £27.05 per week for an eldest or only child and £17.90 for each additional child. Payments normally stop after a young person turns 16 unless they remain in qualifying education or approved training.
Parents whose teenager is starting a new course or eligible training in September need to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about their plans. However, families whose child is already partway through a course previously reported to HMRC do not need to contact the department again.
Qualifying education and training
Child Benefit can continue until a young person reaches 20 in certain circumstances if they remain in approved non-advanced education or training. Qualifying full-time education includes Scottish Highers and A levels, the International Baccalaureate, T levels, NVQs up to level 3, and certain home education.
In Scotland, qualifying unpaid approved training can include the No One Left Behind programme and Employability Fund programmes. Parents should tell HMRC if their child's circumstances change, including if they leave education or start a paid apprenticeship.
Child Benefit cannot normally continue if the young person goes to university or begins another form of advanced education. Continuing to receive payments after a child is no longer eligible could result in an overpayment which needs to be repaid.
How to extend a claim
Parents can update their child's education or training details online through GOV.UK or using the HMRC app. Those who received a letter from HMRC can also use the QR code contained in the correspondence to access the online service.
Parents unable to use the digital services can contact HMRC using the details provided in their letter. HMRC previously said around 1.5 million parents had been contacted this year reminding them to extend their claim where necessary, with more than 372,000 having already done so digitally.
The deadline for parents who need to notify HMRC about their teenager's continuing education or training is midnight on August 31. Advice Direct Scotland also provides free help through its taxadvice.scot service for people unsure about extending a claim. The organisation is one of 12 voluntary and community groups selected by HMRC to provide tailored benefits and tax support across the UK, and the only organisation providing the service in Scotland. People seeking support can contact the service on 0800 756 3381.
