Parents of children aged 16 to 19 have until August 31 to extend their Child Benefit claim or risk having the payments automatically stopped by HMRC. The department is urging millions of parents to act following GCSE results day, as some could extend their claim and continue receiving payments until their child turns 20 if their next plans meet the Government’s criteria.
HMRC urges parents to confirm plans
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Exam results season is a big moment for teenagers deciding their next steps, and it’s the perfect time for parents to confirm those plans with us.
“Child Benefit is a vital source of support for many families and we don’t want anyone to miss out. It only takes a few minutes using the HMRC app or GOV.UK, so make sure you’re receiving the payments you’re entitled to.”
What happens after age 16
Child Benefit automatically stops when the child is 16, but it can continue to be paid until the child is 20 if they are studying full time in non-advanced education or on unpaid approved training courses. If parents miss the August 31 deadline, the HMRC support will automatically stop even if the child is in approved courses that meet the criteria. Visit Gov.uk for a full list of approved courses.
Approved training or education includes A levels or similar qualifications such as the 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.
Education and training that won’t be eligible for Child Benefit includes university degrees, BTEC Higher National Certificates, pre-degree courses such as a foundation diploma or access to higher education course, Higher National Certificates (HNC) or Higher National Diplomas (HND) at level 7, and Certificates of Higher Education (CertHE).
How to extend the claim
Child Benefit is worth up to £1,406.60 a year for the eldest or only child, and up to £930.80 a year for each additional child. More than 372,000 parents have already extended their Child Benefit payment digitally ahead of the deadline.
Parents can extend their claim on the HMRC app, through Gov.uk, or if they received a letter from HMRC about their Child Benefit ending, they can scan the QR code included in it to be taken straight to the digital service.
