Parents have just two days to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) their 16-19 year-old is continuing education or training or their Child Benefit payments will stop.
Households must act “as soon as possible”, as the payments can provide valuable support worth hundreds of pounds to those who need it.
HMRC said it wrote to 1.5 million parents between May and July this year reminding them to extend their claim by August 31.
However, around 522,000 parents have extended so far, meaning as many as 978,000 people could still be yet to act.
Currently, Child benefit amounts to £102.40 per month for one child and around £170 for two children. This increases by roughly £67 per month for each additional child with no cap on the total number of children that can be claimed for, unless households exceed the Benefit Cap.
Yearly, the benefit is worth up to £1,331 for the first or only child, and up to £881 for every additional child.
The deadline to continue claiming the benefit is August 31 – renewal is not automatic.
Missing this deadline could result in the loss of thousands of pounds that would have helped cover education-related expenses.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “Child Benefit is an important financial support for many households and we don’t want to see any eligible family miss out.”
Ms Lloyd added: “You can extend your claim quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK .”
Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, the charity for single-parent families, said: “Child Benefit is valuable to families and particularly single-parent families, who are forced to make ends meet on a single income.
“It’s really important, with the August 31 deadline fast approaching, that parents whose children are going into further education and training extend their claim as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this crucial financial help.”
Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in non-advanced education, which includes:
- A Levels or Scottish Highers
- International Baccalaureate
- Home education – if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
- T levels
- NVQs, up to level three.
Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:
- In Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
- In Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
- In Scotland: the No One Left Behind programme.
Parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app.
Parents who can’t extend their Child Benefit online or in the HMRC app can still do so by post or by phone.
