Parents whose children have recently received exam results must update their Child Benefit claim by midnight on August 31 or risk losing monthly payments of £117.21, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned. Missing the deadline could mean losing approximately £1,406 annually.
In a post on X, HMRC said: "Has your child recently received their #GCSE results? If they're staying in education or training next year, you'll need to update your Child Benefit claim on the HMRC app or online by midnight on 31 August. Don't miss out on up to £1,406 a year." The post directed parents to a Gov.uk page explaining what they need to do.
Who needs to take action
Officials stated that anyone with children receiving results this month for GCSEs, A Levels and, in Scotland, National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers, may need to act. Currently, eligible claimants receive £27.05 weekly for their first child and £17.90 weekly for additional children.
For the 2026/2027 tax year, parents will receive £1,406.52 annually for their eldest or only child, and £930.80 yearly for each extra child. If they have two eligible children, that amounts to £2,337.40. Should one child continue in education following their results and parents fail to act by the end of August, they will be sacrificing £117.21 each month.
How to extend the claim
Around 1.5 million parents of 16-19 year-olds received reminder letters earlier this year. Child Benefit will automatically cease on 31 August on or after a child's 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager's intentions. HMRC stated: "You must tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about their education or training. Only the person who is claiming Child Benefit can do this."
HMRC added: "You may be sent a letter in your child's last year at school asking you to tell HMRC about your child's plans. Your Child Benefit automatically stops on 31 August on or after your child's 16th birthday if: they leave education or training; you do not tell HMRC that they're staying in education or training; they're staying in a type of education or training where you cannot get Child Benefit."
Last year, 874,000 parents extended their claim, with over half doing so online or via the HMRC app. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Chief Customer Officer, said: "Child Benefit is a real financial boost for families, so if your teenager already knows they're staying in education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s, you don't need to wait for our letter. You can extend your Child Benefit claim today in minutes via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK."
Qualifying education and the High Income Charge
Child Benefit remains available if your child is undertaking full-time non-advanced education. Full-time means more than an average of 12 hours weekly of supervised study or course-related work experience. Children with an illness or disability can complete fewer hours if that's suitable for them. Non-advanced education encompasses A levels or similar (for example, International Baccalaureate), T levels, GCSEs, Scottish Highers, NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3, home education, study programmes in England, and a pre-apprenticeship.
Child Benefit isn't available if your child is studying for a university degree, BTEC Higher National Certificate, pre-degree course (such as a foundation diploma or access to higher education course), Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) level 7, or Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE).
Should a Child Benefit claimant or their partner earn an individual income between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner may face the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). An estimate is available using the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK. Parents can settle the charge through their PAYE tax code via the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment.
HMRC stated: "Parents only need to act if their teenager is starting a new course or qualifying training in September. Those already partway through a course previously notified to HMRC do not need to contact us. Full-time education means more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. This includes home schooling. If a child has an illness or disability, they may be able to do fewer hours where this is appropriate for them."
