Child Benefit when your child turns 16

Is your child aged between 16 and 19, and in full time education? You may be eligible to continue your child benefit.

Child benefit currently stops when a child turns 16. However, if they stay in full time approved education the child benefit can be claimed. 

Approved education and training include the following:

• A Levels
• T Levels
• Home education – if commenced before they turned 16, or if commenced after they turned 16 but they have a statement of special educational needs
• A pre-apprenticeship
• Study programmes in England
• Approved training should be unpaid

Child benefit cannot be extended if your child is:

• Studying for a university degree
• Completing an apprenticeship
• Studying with an employment contract once completed as a term of the training
• Training as part of their current employment

How do I notify HMRC?

When your child is in the last year of school, you should receive a letter from HMRC which will allow you to confirm if your child is staying in approved education or training.

You can also notify HMRC using your online government gateway login and using the child benefit online services, or using the HMRC app. For the contact details follow Child Benefit: enquiries – GOV.UK

Reporting changes to HMRC

If your circumstances change and your child leaves full time approved education, you must notify HMRC.

It is possible to extend your child benefit for up to 20 weeks if your child leaves approved education if they register with their local careers service or sign up to join the armed forces. The child must also meet the following criteria:

• Be 16 or 17
• Work less than 24 hours a week
• Not get certain benefits e.g income support
• Have been entitled to child benefit immediately before they left approved education

The application for the extension must be made within 3 months of them leaving.

Would it be worthwhile to continue my child benefit claim?

The extra income for individuals who qualify for child benefit can be a nice contribution to assist in the support of children, however it may not have the same financial benefits if you are a higher earner.

If your income is over the high-income child benefit threshold of £60,000, then the child benefit will start to be repayable to HMRC from this threshold limit. This applies to whether either you or your partner’s income exceeds the limit.

The amount received will then be repaid through self-assessment. Should either yours or your partner’s income exceed £80,000 then the full amount of child benefit will need to be repaid.

Individuals can opt out of child benefit if they do not wish to receive the payments, although it may still be worthwhile even if you qualify for some of it.

Even if your income is over £80,000, it may still be beneficial as receiving child benefit allows individuals to automatically receive their NI contributions to qualify for state pension at no additional cost, even if you end up paying all the money received back through the high income child benefit charge.

If you would like any further information, please contact your local Perrys office.