Child Benefit payment warning to parents ahead of important deadline next month
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is sending reminder letter to parents of teenagers aged between 16 and 19-years-old between now and July, urging them to extend their Child Benefit claim before a crucial deadline next month, or payments will automatically stop.
Payments will end on August 31, 2025 if the online account is not updated to extend the claim. Those who need to update it include parents with teenagers continuing their education or training after their Scottish Nationals.
Parents can extend their claim quickly and easily via the HMRC app or online on GOV.UK. The letters also contain a handy QR code which takes parents straight to the digital service on GOV.UK.
Child Benefit is worth £26.05 per week - or £1,354.60 a year - for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week - or £897 a year - for each additional child. More than 870,000 parents extended their Child Benefit claim for their teen last year with the majority confirming online or via the HMRC app in minutes.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said: 'Child Benefit is an important boost to families. As soon as you know what your teenager is planning to do, extend your claim in minutes to guarantee your payments continue in September. Simply go to GOV.UK or the HMRC app to confirm today.'
Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in approved 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 3
Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:
Scotland: Employability Fund programme and No One Left Behind
Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or in the app and payments will be adjusted accordingly.
If either the claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
For families who fall into this category, the online Child Benefit tax calculator provides an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be.
From this summer, as part of the UK Government's Plan for Change, families will have the option to use a new digital service to pay the charge directly through their PAYE tax code instead of filing a Self Assessment tax return.
The new service will cut red tape for eligible employed parents who are liable to the High Income Child Benefit Charge but those who choose to pay the charge through their Self Assessment can continue to do so.
Families who have previously opted out of Child Benefit payments can opt back in and restart their payments quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app.
Teenagers turning 16 can take control of their Child Trust Fund savings account, which could be worth thousands of pounds, and can withdraw the money once they turn 18. Child Trust Funds were set up for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011.
If teenagers or their parents and guardians know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly. If they don't know where their account is, they can use the free online tool on GOV.UK to find out who their Child Trust Fund provider is.
Scottish Child Payment
Scottish Child Payment is a weekly payment of £27.15 for eligible families with children up to the age of 16 - the payment is worth £108.60 every month and is only available north of the border.
Combined with Child Benefit payments from HMRC, parents could be due up to £212.80 each month in additional support.
Child Benefit is a separate UK-wide payment, which is also issued every four weeks and amounts to £104.20 every payment period for the eldest or only child or £69.00 for every additional child.
Parents, carers and guardians can get more information about financial help on the dedicated Children and Family section on mygov.scot here or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
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