Child Benefit is available to parents with children under 16, but with GCSE results just released, many can now inform HMRC to extend their benefit payments.
Under specific conditions, parents can continue receiving Child Benefit until their children reach 19 years old.
This extension applies when children are engaged in full-time non-advanced education, including:
- A level or Scottish Highers
- International Baccalaureate
- Home education – if it began before the 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 3
Teenagers aged between 16 and 19 can also prolong their Child Benefit eligibility if they are studying on an approved unpaid training course such as:
- Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme in Wales
- PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work schemes in Northern Ireland
- The No One Left Behind programme in Scotland
However, parents must act before August 31st to extend this benefit; otherwise, their payments will automatically cease if their child has turned 16 this year.
This could result in a significant loss of £1,331 annually for their first or only child and up to £881 per year for each additional child.
Parents are able to update their claims either online on Gov.uk or through the HMRC app. It’s reported that 270,000 parents have already extended their claims digitally.
Furthermore, if a child changes their decision about further education or training, parents can keep the HMRC informed either online or via the app.
The department is also encouraging parents who have chosen not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge to update their details regardless.
