Extra £541 for eligible families
HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed that households claiming Child Benefit can receive an additional £541 over 20 weeks if their child aged 16 or 17 leaves full-time education or training and registers with their local careers service or the armed forces.
The 20-week extension, confirmed by HMRC in a post on X, allows parents or carers to continue receiving payments after their teenager leaves education to follow a different path. Child Benefit rates were uplifted by 3.8% on April 6, now worth £27.05 per week for the first or eldest child.
Eligibility and application
To qualify, the child must be 16 or 17, work fewer than 24 hours per week, and not receive certain benefits like Universal Credit. Parents must have been entitled to Child Benefit immediately before the child left education or training and must apply within three months of that date.
HMRC stated: “Leaving full-time education doesn't always mean losing Child Benefit! If your child is 16 or 17 and signs up with their local careers service or the armed forces instead of full time education, you could still get payments for up to 20 more weeks. Apply for a child benefit extension via the HMRC app or online.”
Families with more than one child can receive weekly payments of £17.90 per additional child. For two children following the same path, an extra £358 over 20 weeks is possible.
