Millions of parents are facing a potential cliff-edge in just a few days
Parents of children between 16 and 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 Child Benefit claim, allowing them to still get the payments until their child turns 20 if their next plans in life meet the Government’s criteria.
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.”
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 as well as 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, for example International Baccalaureate
- T levels
- GCSEs
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3
- home education
- study programmes in England
- a pre-apprenticeship
Education and training won’t be eligible for Child Benefit:
- university degree
- BTEC Higher National Certificate
- pre-degree course – for example a foundation diploma or access to higher education course
- Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) level 7
- Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
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 this to be taken straight to the digital service.
