Parents whose children received exam results this month must update their Child Benefit claims by August 31 or risk losing up to £1,406 a year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned. The deadline applies to families of teenagers staying in full-time education or training after their GCSEs, A Levels, or Scottish National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers.
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 31 August. Don't miss out on up to £1,406 a year." The post directed parents to a Gov.uk page with further instructions.
Who Needs to Act and What They Could Lose
Currently, eligible parents receive £27.05 weekly for their first child and £17.90 weekly for each subsequent child. For the 2026/2027 tax year, that amounts to £1,406.52 annually for an eldest or only child and £930.80 yearly for each additional child. A family with two eligible children would receive £2,337.40 in total.
If a parent fails to act by the end of August, they will effectively forfeit £117.21 monthly for one child continuing in education. Child Benefit automatically stops on 31 August on or after a child's 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager's plans. Around 1.5 million reminder letters were dispatched to parents of 16-19 year-olds earlier this year.
Qualifying Education and How to Update Claims
Child Benefit can continue for teenagers in full-time non-advanced education—more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience—or on unpaid approved training courses. Qualifying courses include A Levels, T levels, GCSEs, Scottish Highers, NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3, home education, study programmes in England, and pre-apprenticeships. It cannot be claimed for university degrees, BTEC Higher National Certificates, pre-degree courses, HNC/HND level 7, or CertHE courses.
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." Parents can update their claim via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK. Last year, 874,000 parents extended their claim, with more than half doing so online or through the HMRC app.
Additional Rules and High Income Charge
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."
If a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual income between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner may be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). Parents can pay the charge through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service or through Self Assessment. HMRC added: "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."
