HMRC has issued a reminder that parents have just days to extend their Child Benefit claim or face having their support stopped
Parents with children aged between 16 and 19, or born between 2006 and 2009, need to inform HMRC of their child’s future study plans by August 31 if they wish to extend their Child Benefit claim. With GCSE results no dished out, teens that plan to stay in approved education or training can be eligible for the benefit until they turn 20.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, advised: “Teenagers can be expensive and Child Benefit is an important source of income for your household. As soon as you know what your teen is doing in September, don’t miss out. You can extend your claim in minutes through the HMRC app or online to ensure your payments continue.”
Child Benefit can still be claimed for young people studying full-time in non-advanced education and unpaid approved training courses. A full list of approved courses can be found on GOV.UK.
If parents fail to meet the August 31 deadline, HMRC support will automatically cease if your child has turned 16. To continue claiming the benefit, your child must be in approved education or training.
Approved training or education includes:
- A levels or similar, for example International Baccalaureate
- T levels
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3
- Home education under certain circumstances
- Study programmes in England
- Pre-apprenticeship
- Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme in Wales
- The No One Left Behind programme in Scotland
- PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work in Northern Ireland
Education and training that is not approved for purposes of Child Benefit:
- Studying for a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate
- Apprenticeship, unless it’s a Foundation Apprenticeship in Wales
- Courses with an employer’s agreement
- Training courses that are part of a job contract
A total of 1.5 million parents who will be affected by the deadline should have received a letter during the last school year asking them to confirm if their child is staying in education or training. More than 509,000 parents of teenagers have already extended their Child Benefit claim.
This can be done online, which the majority of parents have opted to use, or through the HMRC app. Scanning the QR code on the reminder letter should take them to the digital service.
If your child leaves approved education or training, it’s crucial to inform HMRC so your Child Benefit support can be halted. However, if your child is 16 or 17 and leaving education because they’ve joined the armed forces or their local careers service, you may be eligible to continue receiving the support for an additional 20 weeks, known as an extension.
Child Benefit offers £26.05 per week – £104 a month – for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week for each subsequent child. More details about claiming Child Benefit after your child turns 16 can be found on Gov.uk.
