HMRC warns 1.4m parents 'don't lose out' on free cash

William Morgan

21 May 2024 at 6:18 am·2-min read

Over a million parents of older teenagers could see their Child Benefit payments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) stop at the end of this summer, if they do not update the taxman on what their child's plans are after the age of 16.

The benefit is worth £1,331 for your first child and £881 for your second, providing much-needed financial support for everything from school clothing to putting three square meals on the table - but if your child is 16 or over, you could lose this money by August 31.

Parents of 16 to 19-year-olds can still get Child Benefit if their teenager is continuing in some form of education or training, but they have to tell HMRC about their further education plans to retain the payments. From this week until the middle of July, letters will be sent to the 1.4 million people whose benefit payments could stop.

Informing HMRC about your child's circumstances is a quick process, with a QR code coming with the letter so that you can scan and go straight to the right gov.uk webpage.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: "Child Benefit is an important financial support for many families, so make sure you don’t miss out on any payments if your teenager intends to continue approved education or training. You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK."

Who can claim Child Benefit for young adults?

HMRC says that 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.

Parents can view and manage their claim quickly and easily online or on the HMRC app. This includes viewing payment information and proof of their claim, adding additional children and updating their details – all without needing to call HMRC.

You cannot update HMRC until you have received your letter, so keep an eye out for any brown envelopes coming through the letter box.

The Telegraph
‘Look my son in the eye and tell him why Labour will ruin his education’
A military mother told Sir Keir Starmer to look her 10-year-old son in the eye and “explain why Labour is planning to ruin his education” by imposing VAT on private schools.
The Telegraph
Outcry as university tells staff to teach that whiteness and heterosexuality are a problem
History lecturers at the University of Liverpool have been advised to “problematise” whiteness and heterosexuality in their seminars.
The Telegraph
Private school parents face black hole of ‘outstanding’ state schools
Parents forced to pull their children out of private schools as Labour’s VAT raid looms face a black hole of “outstanding” state schools in their local area.
The Telegraph
Labour’s private school VAT plan could hit rural areas ‘like 1980s pit closures’
Labour’s VAT plans for private schools will unleash collateral damage on local communities and decimate their economies, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned.
The Northern Echo
Demolition of County Durham school buildings closed after RAAC discovery to begin
A County Durham school’s buildings affected by RAAC will be demolished as part of a major redevelopment.
The Guardian
Number of private school pupils rises despite claims families priced out by Labour’s VAT plan
Independent schools in England had warned plan to charge VAT on fees was putting parents off and had shut schools
CBC
N.S. university approves academic amnesty for students in pro-Palestinian encampment
Dalhousie University will grant academic amnesty to students participating in the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus.In a motion originally proposed by the Dalhousie Student Union, the university's senate has voted to allow students to miss one class or assessment per course to participate in activities related to the encampment until the end of August.Students must give professors at least 24-hours notice in order to attend "the event" that does not include final exams or assessments. Dozens
BANG Showbiz
Jennifer Garner has thanked her children's teachers for all the support they have given them
Jennifer Garner has thanked her children's teachers for all the support they have given them as her eldest finishes high school and her youngest leaves elementary.
Business Insider
These 12 colleges have produced more billionaires than any other
These colleges and universities have produced more billionaires than any other, according to a list compiled by Forbes.
Herald Scotland
Activists blockade University of Edinburgh Old College in Gaza protest
Activists have blocked the gates of one of Scotland’s oldest universities to protest its links to firms supplying Israel.
The Northern Echo
Statue of North East footballing legend gifted to local college
A statue of Jill Scott has been gifted to Gateshead College celebrating the Lionesses' iconic Euros win.
Business Insider
New college graduates are stepping into a tougher job market. It could set their earnings back for years.
Recent college graduates are struggling to find work. Some could come to question the value of their college degree.
Associated Press
Report finds Colorado was built on $1.7 trillion of land expropriated from tribal nations
A report published this week by a Native American-led nonprofit examines in detail the dispossession of $1.7 trillion worth of Indigenous homelands in Colorado by the state and the U.S. and the more than $546 million the state has reaped in mineral extraction from them. The report, shared first with The Associated Press, identifies 10 tribal nations that have “aboriginal title, congressional title, and treaty title to lands within Colorado” and details the ways the land was legally and illegally taken. It determined that many of the transactions were in direct violation of treaty rights or in some cases lacked title for a legal transfer.
The Telegraph
Labour ‘doesn’t care’ about children, claims Gillian Keegan
Labour “does not care” about children, the Education Secretary has said as she warned the party’s private school policy is “reckless”.
Daily Echo
Students offered huge discounts to stay in Southampton this summer
Students from across the UK have been offered huge discounts to stay in Southampton this summer.
CBC
University of Guelph says it's looking at housing options for 1st-year students after criticism from mayor
The University of Guelph says they're exploring options that may result in more off-campus residence spaces for the fall semester.Their comments on Friday were in response to Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie's statement Thursday condemning the university for admitting roughly 1,300 more students than they have residence spaces for this fall.Statistics from the Ontario Universities' Application Centre show the University of Guelph has 7,849 confirmed offers of acceptance from students. That's a 52.6 per
The Conversation
There’s frustratingly little discussion of our music and nighttime industries in this election
Despite calling the sector ‘world leading’, both Labour and the Conservatives have failed to give any concrete commitments for funding the creative industries.
CNN
Pro-Palestinian protesters cleared from Cal State, L.A., building after barricading themselves in with staff still inside
Pro-Palestinian protesters who entered and barricaded themselves in a building at California State University, Los Angeles, on Wednesday cleared out by early Thursday, a spokesperson for the school told CNN.
Reading Chronicle
A fifth of Reading children eligible for free school meals
A fifth of children in Reading are eligible for free school meals, new figures show.
Lancashire Telegraph
Beauty academy bags 'best of North West' award
Chantelle Louise set up her Beauty Academy just two years ago and now caters for clients across the North West.

Who can claim Child Benefit for young adults?

Latest stories