Millions of parents risk losing vital Child Benefit support
Millions of parents risk missing out on crucial financial support unless they take swift action when their child reaches 16, following a fresh warning from HMRC.
The tax authority states families can continue to claim Child Benefit for young people aged 16 to 19 – but only if they adhere to strict requirements and inform officials promptly. In a social media warning, HMRC said: “Is your child aged 16–19 and staying in full-time education or approved training? You can keep getting Child Benefit until they turn 20.”
However, critically, payments don’t roll over automatically. Parents must notify HMRC that their child is remaining in education or training – either online or through the HMRC app – or risk having payments halted completely.
Payments can be stopped automatically
According to the regulations, Child Benefit will automatically end on August 31 on or after a child’s 16th birthday if:
- They exit education or training
- Parents don’t confirm they are continuing
- The course doesn’t meet the criteria
This means thousands of families could be affected annually simply by missing the cut-off date or failing to respond to HMRC correspondence sent during a child’s final school year.
Who remains eligible
Parents can keep claiming if their child stays in full-time non-advanced education, defined as more than 12 hours weekly of supervised study or work experience.
Qualifying courses include:
- A-levels or equivalent (such as the International Baccalaureate)
- T-levels
- GCSEs and Scottish Highers
- NVQs and vocational qualifications up to level 3
- Home education and study programmes
- Pre-apprenticeships
- Unpaid “approved training” schemes may also be eligible, depending on the programme and location across the UK.
Who is NOT eligible
Parents are unable to claim Child Benefit if their child progresses to higher education or paid work-based training.
This encompasses:
- University degrees
- Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Diplomas (HNDs)
- Foundation or access-to-higher-education courses
- Most apprenticeships
- Employer-funded training connected to employment
Repayment risk
HMRC cautions that failing to update information could leave families facing unexpected debts.
If payments continue after a child exits education or training, parents may be required to repay the funds.
Payments typically cease at fixed points throughout the year – the end of February, May, August or November – depending on when the child completes their course.
Additional support on offer
Some flexibility exists for families during transitional periods. Parents may be eligible to claim an extension of up to 20 weeks if their child exits education or training but registers with a careers service or the armed forces.
To be eligible, the child must be aged 16 or 17, work less than 24 hours weekly and not claim certain benefits such as Universal Credit.
Act immediately
HMRC’s core message couldn’t be clearer: never assume your payments will keep coming.
Parents are urged to proactively verify their child’s education or training status – or face losing vital financial support worth potentially hundreds or even thousands of pounds annually. More details can be found here.
