A two-week warning has been issued to parents to act NOW or risk losing thousands of pounds in benefits. Child benefit payments automatically stop on August 31 on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training.
Thousands of families could see their child benefit payments stop, according to HMRC. But mums and dads are able to continue getting payments by informing the Child Benefit Office that your child is remaining in education or training.
Education must be full-time (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include A levels or similar. For example, this could be anything from Pre-U and International Baccalaureate, to T levels and Scottish Highers, as well as NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3.
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It can even include home education – if it started before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs or traineeships in England. Your child must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19, though. Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, HMRC says.
There are different payment dates if it’s due on a bank holiday, according to the government website. You can get Child Benefit paid weekly if you’re a single parent or if you or your partner are getting certain benefits, such as Income Support. But HMRC also warns: “If you fail to update your details in time, you may still be able to claim Child Benefit, but your payments might be late.”
The weekly payment from HMRC is worth £24.00 for an eldest or only child and £15.90 for additional children. Households can also apply for the extension at Gov.UK or by calling HMRC on 0300 200 3100, according to the government website.
